Always and Forever
by stardust n dreams
Summary: Finished!Sequel to Opposites Attract Draco and Hermione are married with a baby...what problems could ensue now that Lucius is gone? Read to find out
1. Here Comes Mommy!

A/N…welp…the beginning to another wonderful story…I hope so at least. To all of you who haven't read the first story "Opposites Attract" I suggest you go and read that one before reading this one, or else this one won't make any sense. Last story I was following some other people's stories and conceived ideas of my own from those, but this time I'm doing this story cold turkey and making it up all on my own. I have some idea's brewing, so it should be an interesting story. I decided to start this at a different point then where I said I would, but I think it turned out well. Well no more talking…onto the first chapter!!!

Disclaimer…everything in this story, with the exception of my plot line…belongs to the oh so wonderful goddess JK Rowling…who will soon be richer than Bill Gates…

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A tall brunette woman stood in front of the mirror, watching in horror as water streaked down her leg, soaking the fabric of her denim maternity overalls. "Oh God," She whispered, "Draco!"

Her blonde husband ran into the room, his face flushed. "What's wrong Hermione?" He gazed down at her legs.

"My water just broke." She gasped, sitting down on the toilet as a contraction rocked her body, her husband ran over to aide his wife. 

"I'll call the hospital and get the bag, go sit in the living room, now!" He commanded, his face as white as a ghost. 

Hermione did as she was told and waddled into the living room to sit on the couch. They were living in a suite in a large muggle hotel until their new home was finished being furnished. The Malfoy Manor had been demolished at the request of Draco's mother and she was now living in their vacation home near the ocean. 

The next minutes went by in a rush as the couple rushed to the hospital in a cab. Soon enough the doctors were telling her to push. She hadn't been in labor more than a few hours luckily. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced, she knew that she wanted to have a natural birth, but she wanted a muggle birth, not a magical one. She grabbed Draco's hand as the doctor yelled at her to push one last time.

"Draco…Malfoy…I…swear…if….I…make….it…through…this….I…will….kill…you! AHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as her daughter was pushed out of her followed by the horrible feeling of the afterbirth sliding out of her as well. 

"Congratulations, you have a beautiful healthy baby girl." The doctor said, handing Hermione a bloody baby, she wasn't crying but looking around the room in amazement. 

"Oh Merlin Hermione, she's beautiful." Draco whispered, stroking his wife's tousled hair. 

"What's her name?" Hermione's mother asked from the bedside.

"Haley Rose Malfoy." The couple said together, smiling at each other. 

"Welcome to the world little child, we will be your guides." Hermione cooed at the baby, stroking her cheek. She drifted off to sleep after the nurse came and took the baby from her, she had never felt so tired. 

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The following weeks in the suite were hellish. Haley wouldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time and woke up every hour on the hour, Hermione swore she could set her clock by her. Harry and Ron had come and seen the baby the day after Hermione gave birth, and had stopped by a time or two after then. They were both now on training for the Ministry to become aurors. 

When the couple's new home was finished completely, they moved in. It was a large contemporary home, with high ceilings, large fireplaces, and innovative architecture. The pool in the backyard had a built in waterfall and hot tub as well. The color white was dominant and sea blue was the lesser color throughout the house. 

Hermione wasn't working at the time, and neither was Draco, and frankly, they could live on Draco's father's money for their entire lives but Hermione would not stand for it. 

One day, while Hermione was cleaning house and Haley was napping with Draco, she heard a knock at the door. Narcissa stood in the doorway, wearing all black robes and carrying a large dragon hide handbag. 

"Hermione dear! How nice it is to see you again. You look wonderful for just have given birth four weeks ago." She smiled in a bubbly way. Hermione had never seen her mother in law like this, and suspected her to be a bit drunk. 

"Please come in, mom." She wasn't used to calling her that yet, but tried her hardest. She took her mother-in-law's coat and bag and led her into the sitting room. "Let me go get Draco up, would you like anything to drink?" 

"No that's quite alright dear." 

Hermione went into their master bedroom to find Draco asleep peacefully on their bed, Haley slept soundly in the next room. She nudged her sleeping husband until he woke up.

"What is it?" He muttered groggily, rolling over on his side. 

"Your mother is here." She giggled.

He sat up abruptly, sending waves through their oversized waterbed. "My mother is…where?!" He got up and ran a hand quickly through his hair before rushing into the sitting room. Hermione giggled softly before following them. 

"Hello Draco, how are you doing dear?" Narcissa hugged her son as he stared at his mother in shock. 

"Fine, but if I may ask. Why are you here mother?"

"Well, they are doing some renovation on the house, so I thought I might come live with you for a few months. I'm sure you don't mind. Merlin's sake, this place is big enough! Now, where is my granddaughter?" She smiled.

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A/N…well, first chapter up and done! Hope you like it…this could turn out to be a fun story eh? Hehe…Narcissa, Draco, and Hermione in the same house…ooo the drama! Until next time, please review!

Love and Fluff, 

Natalie


	2. Disagreements

a/n…7 reviews in one day! Now THAT'S what I'm talkin about! Here's your new chapter!!

Disclaimer…I am NOT JK Rowling….if I was I wouldn't have homework!

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Hermione couldn't help but laugh to see her husband's face as his mother walked past them and into their daughter's nursery where she was crying in her crib. He gave her a quick glare before rushing off after his mother to persuade her to take a vacation to an American beach for a few weeks. Narcissa would hear none of it. 

Later that week, after Narcissa had taken residence in the extra bedroom, she really began to annoy Draco. Hermione and her mother-in-law on the other hand, were as thick as thieves and spent a lot of time together. Possibly more than Draco could stand. 

One night Draco confronted his wife about it. "Hermione, dear." 

The brunette looked up from her book, "yes?"

"I think that we should get my mother to move out, maybe take a vacation to a spa somewhere, preferably a few continents away." 

Hermione laughed, "Draco, you know you're mother won't leave, besides, she doesn't seem all that bad, and she's been helping out a lot with Haley."

"She's my mother! I've had to live with her for 18 years, I don't want to have to go through this all over again, especially in my own home!" Color was rising in Draco's pale cheeks as his voice went up as well.

"Draco! Your mother is a welcome guest in our home and I will hear no more about it!" Hermione said in a huff, getting up and storming out of the room. 

That night, when Draco went to go to sleep, Hermione was already in bed. The door to their bedroom was locked, and there was a blanket and pillow laying outside the door. Since there were only two beds in the house, Draco sighed and floated the blanket out to the couch to go to sleep. 

"I wonder if this will affect our sex life?" He wondered aloud before drifting off to sleep. *A/N…ugh…men….had to put that tho, sorry!*

The next morning, Hermione and Narcissa went out shopping with Haley for the day, since it was a Sunday, Draco lounged around the house and did a little reading. 

"So, he doesn't want me to live with you any more dear?" Narcissa said with a frown at the café Hermione and her were eating at for lunch. 

"Yes, but you're still welcome. I made him sleep on the couch last night, I think he got the message." Hermione smiled at her mother-in-law. 

"Oh you are perfectly devious darling!" Narcissa squealed. Hermione never thought that Draco's mother could be this perky, especially after the way Draco used to act, and the way that Lucius had been. 

"I figured he would realize I was mad at him if I made him sleep on the couch, its very uncomfortable too, I'm sure he woke up with a bad back." She smiled. She had even set a spell on the blanket to make it itchy, but she thought telling Narcissa that would have been going too far. 

"I never slept a night without Lucius unless he wasn't at the house." She frowned and furrowed her brow before looking down at Haley who was sleeping in her stroller. "She's so beautiful." 

"Thank you," Hermione smiled, watching her daughter's chest rise and fall with her breathing. 

"Even though Draco may seem hot-headed, he's nothing compared to his father. Lucius had a horrible temper." Narcissa shook her head and looked away from Hermione. This was the first time Narcissa had spoken of her late husband since she had moved into the house. 

"I know…I know." Hermione said softly, taking Narcissa's cold hand from across the table. 

When Hermione and Narcissa got home, Draco was nowhere to be found, but there was a large bouquet of roses sitting on the kitchen table with a card. 

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Hermione, 

I'm sorry I was so bull headed, my mother can stay as long as she needs to. I've gone out for a little bit, I should be home around dinner time. 

Love Always, 

Draco

"Well, looks like he didn't like sleeping on the couch," Hermione laughed as she inhaled the sweet scent of the roses. 

"That's my boy, always knows how to get back on a woman's good side," Narcissa levitated the vase and flowers over to the kitchen window. "There, they'll get more sun there." She smiled.

That night Hermione fixed roast beef for dinner, and Draco came home just around the time it was about to be served. He was carrying a box behind his back, nothing large, just a small box. 

"This is for you." He smiled, handing Hermione the box. It was black wrapped with a silver ribbon. She opened it. Inside was a beautiful dragon-hide photo album with all their wedding photo's. A beaming Hermione and Draco waved back along with all of their friends from Hogwarts. Hermione wiped a tear from her eye. 

"Oh thank you Draco, its amazing!" She squealed, hugging him tightly and kissing him soundly on the lips. 

"I love you Hermione." He whispered.

"Je t'adore aussi." (I love you too) She smiled at her husband and then looked around the room, her mother-in-law had taken Haley to her bedroom to change her so she kissed Draco again with a little more passion. 

That night, the couple slept together again, not doing much sleeping though, but Hermione was in for a surprise the next morning, something she wasn't exactly expecting. 

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A/N…sorry, kinda short again, sorry it took me so long to update! I had some free time this weekend tho, so there ya go! Now review and I'll maybe update tomorrow so you can find out Hermione's surprise! 

Love and Fluff,

Natalie


	3. Offers She Couldn't Refuse

a/n…okay I gave in…heres ur new chappie! I hope you all like your surprise! And I thank coconuttyharry20 for the idea for this one!

Disclaimer…fan fiction.net will now publish all fan fictions as stories. And then pigs will fly…

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The next morning Hermione awoke to a tapping at the window, a small tawny owl was tapping excitedly at the glass. She sighed and got up to put her robe on before opening the window. The bird flew in and landed on the footboard of the bed and stuck out his leg with a letter attached. The Hogwarts emblem flashed on the front and it was addressed to her. 

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Dear Hermione,

I hope everything is well with your new child, congratulations! I am very excited to ask you this, but there has been a new job created at Hogwarts, Assistant Headmaster/Headmistress. The Ministry and I decided that it should be a fairly young person that will understudy me and, at the event of my untimely passing, will take over Hogwarts as a new Headmaster or Headmistress. I find you completely capable of this job. As I'm also sure you know, Harry Potter has taken the new Defense Against the Dark Arts position, and I have also made a new position for your husband if he would like to come as well. Potions apprentice to Professor Snape. I would love to have you both come and stay with us for the year, and you are welcome to bring your daughter, after all, she is the future of Hogwarts! I hope to hear your reply soon. 

Yours, 

Albus Dumbledore

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione gasped, running over to the bedside. "Draco! Wake up!" She squealed shaking her still sleeping husband. 

"W-what? What's wrong?!" He sat up quickly thinking something was wrong with the baby. 

"Read this!" Hermione beamed, thrusting the letter at him. 

Draco read over the letter, a smile forming on his pale face. "Oh Hermione, this is wonderful!" 

"I know!" She jumped up and down like a little school girl, and then there was a knock at the door. Draco got up to open it to see his mother standing with a sleepy eyed Haley in the doorway. 

"What's the noise all about?" 

Hermione gave her the letter to read as she took her daughter and sat on the chair next to the desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. "Well Draco, should we?" 

"If you want to sweetheart, we don't need the money, but I know how much you want to." 

She smiled and began to write a return letter accepting the jobs and tying it to the bird's leg before it flew out the window. Narcissa finished reading the letter and hugged her son. 

"You could still stay here mom, unless you want to go home. But you could keep the house for us for 9 months." Hermione asked, hugging her mother-in-law. 

"I'd love to, I'm sure they won't mind doing a few more renovations to the house, and I can stay here while they build there. But, what about Haley?"

"Dumbledore said we could bring her." Hermione said. 

"You're going to take her? But what if you both have classes at the same time and you can't watch her?"

"I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind watching her and neither would Dumbledore." Draco thought aloud. 

"You could leave her here with me, leave me some company." Narcissa frowned. 

Hermione thought for a moment and looked at Draco, then at her daughter. "I don't know if I could leave her for 9 months, I'm sorry." She said. 

"Why not buy a dog mom? You've always wanted one," Draco asked, looking at his downcast mother. She seemed to smile as he said this. 

"Yes, that's what I'll do!" 

There was another tap at the window and Hermione looked up to see a snowy owl tapping at the window. "Hedwig." She smiled. 

The letter read, 

Hermione, 

I hope you accepted the job at Hogwarts, and Draco too. I can't wait to see you all, because I know you wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this! I decided not to become an auror, and let Ron take that job, even though it was my dream, Hogwarts is my home and always has been. I'll see you on August 1st! 

Love, 

Harry

"August first, well that's in a week! You two had better get packing!" Narcissa said as she took the baby from Hermione and left the room. They ate breakfast before beginning to pack all their clothes and things they would need. 

Later that evening another letter came for them, again from Dumbledore. 

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Draco and Hermione, 

I'm overjoyed to know that you have accepted, please be at the Hogwarts Express with everything you wish to bring at 7AM on August 1st. 

Yours,

Albus Dumbledore

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A/N…welp, there's your surprise! Hope you all like it! I can't wait to write this one! Review please! It'll make me write faster! And now since I have some time, I'm gonna do thank you's that way I can just get them done in small bits.

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ILUVRONWEASLY-that's a pretty name, but I like the name Haley, it's not as common and it just sounds pretty! Lol

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TN-Chic101-I hope to make it as good as OA, but we'll see!

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Rita3-thanks!

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Veggy_mite-I like putting drama at the beginning, it makes for a great lead in to get people's attention. Thanks!

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Coconuttyharry20-I hope you like it now! Thanks so much for the idea, even if you didn't mean to give me one!

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Kat- Don't worry, you know who will play a big part in this story, its just starting!

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Princess V.V- thanks glad you liked it!

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Misti-thanks, I hope its as good too!

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Painterchica- yep, new story, I loved writing that line, I can imagine myself yelling that too at my husband when I have a kid, lol and no, she isn't pregnant! But I love roses too

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Psycho tom felton fan-thanks! 

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Kat Davi- that's okay, I like your reviews, I love the middle name rose! 

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Lily Bell- I wrote more! Hope you liked it!

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Instanitysquirrel321- yes, my grandma stayed with us for a few weeks and I think my mom was about to kill her, so why not write off experience? Lol

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Pinktribechick- yeah, I know…I liked that idea, lol

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Angel-you're welcome to use it, but a lot of people already have, I found someone that took my entire story and copied and pasted it and added a few things then wrote off of it, I was pretty mad, thanks for the review!

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NAZ1- I'll remember your offer if I need any help!

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Lil shark- yeah, I liked Narcissa in the books and decided to add her in my story. 

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Draco-an-Hermione-4eva- thanks!

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Milkshake2612-I would e-mail you, but I hate doing that because then I end up e-mailing a bunch of people! Sorry. 

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Wolfdrifter-I'm so glad you liked it that much! And also that you reviewed! I love reviews!

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Atticus Slain- cuteness, me like too! Lol 

Love and Fluff, 

Natalie


	4. Back Again

a/n…well I fixed the French in the last chapter…my French teacher told me it was je t'aime but I guess she was wrong, lol or maybe it's a two meaning kinda thing, but oh well. Next chapter, it's the beginning of Hogwarts!

Disclaimer…these characters, places, and objects are as much mine as Iraq is George Bush's…u'd have to be American to understand that one. 

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It was August 1st and Hermione, Draco, Haley, and Narcissa stood out on Platform 9 ¾ saying their last goodbye's to Narcissa. 

"We'll be fine mom, go home and take care of Bailey," Bailey was Narcissa's new golden retriever puppy. 

"Be sure to write, I'll see you all around Christmas." Narcissa wiped a tear as the trio climbed onto the scarlet steam engine. 

"Bye mom!" Hermione called out the window as the train began to pull off, Narcissa waved one last time before turning and walking back toward the barrier. 

The trip was just as it had always been, except this time, there was no Harry, Ron, Ginny, or the little witch with the food trolley, and now Hermione had Haley sleeping in her arms. The train pulled up at Hogsmeade station sooner than Hermione thought it would have and the family and a few of the teachers exited the train to find the same old carriages sitting waiting to go up to the castle.

"I understand why Hagrid was so interested in these things." Draco said in awe, Hermione realized he had seen his father die, and could now see the threstrals that pulled the carriages. 

"We rode those when Sirus died." Hermione heard a voice behind her, she turned around to see Harry, same as always, standing behind her looking downcast. She hugged her friend tightly and then took the baby from Draco so Harry could shake his hand. "May I?" Harry questioned, holding his hands out toward Haley. Hermione handed her best friend her daughter. 

"Well I guess we should get up to the castle." Hermione said, taking a quiet breath. Harry put his arm around her and hugged her slightly. 

"Never thought I'd be back here again." Harry said. 

"I know," Draco whispered. "Always hated this place he said with a laugh as the carriage pulled up to Hogwarts. 

"Home," Harry whispered, taking in the sight of the amazing castle. 

Dumbledore greeted the new teachers as they entered the school. "Welcome back alumni, I trust you've all had a good trip?" 

"Yes professor." Hermione smiled. 

"Please, please, Albus, I'm your coworker now, not your headmaster." He smiled warmly. "Let me show you to your rooms."

Hermione, Draco, and Haley's room was the room Hermione and Draco had shared as Head Boy and Girl the year before, except now, there was one bedroom with a king sized bed, and another one that was a nursery. 

"I hope you like your new room, we thought it better if we didn't have the Head Persons this year share a room." He laughed. 

"They're wonderful." Hermione smiled as Dumbledore led them to Harry's room, which was right down the hall. 

"I thought you may like this better than sleeping in the dungeons," Albus laughed with shimmering eyes. 

That night, dinner was served, and all the teachers greeted their old students into the fold. Hagrid hugged Hermione and Harry so tightly, Draco had to forcibly open his arms to get him to stop. They took their seats at the head table and ate dinner. 

"It's so strange to see it from this view." Draco said, gesturing toward the great hall.

"Wait until there are students sitting along those tables," Hermione laughed. 

"I can't wait," Harry whispered, taking Hermione's hand under the table. She smiled. 

The month passed quickly, Haley was growing bigger, and the three new teachers had learned all their duties and such before school started. The evening of September 1st, Hermione's heart was racing unexpectedly as she took her seat next to the Headmaster in the great hall. Students began to file into the room and looked up at the teacher's table in awe as they saw Hermione, Draco, and Harry. 

When it was time for the sorting, the hat was brought out to the front of the room, it was now Hermione's duty to call the names of the scared first years standing in front of her. After the hat sang it's song, she began to call the names. Scared first years came up to sit on the stool, she placed the hat on their heads as the hat screamed out house names. 

Dumbledore let the hat be carried away before standing up and gaining attention. "This year, we have a new Deputy Headmistress, many of you know her, Professor Hermione Malfoy. We also have a potions aide, Professor Draco Malfoy. And as I'm sure you all know, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Harry Potter. Now please, tuck in!"

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A/N I know you all hate short chapters, but im working in school here, so you'll just have to deal with it, sorry, promise the next one will be at least 3 ½ pages! PROMISE! Even tho that will take me a lil bit. Please read one of my best friend's stories in the meantime…her penname is bradhadair, and she's kinda upset b/c she started her story in April and no one has reviewed it! It's kinda short, but it's a good story. Anyway, please review! 

Love and Fluff,

Natalie


	5. The First Day of Many

A/N…sorry this took so long, I've been reading a really awesome story called Not Myself, its really long with like 130 chapters or something like that! Happy Thanksgiving though, that's when I'm writing this, but God only knows when I'll get to post it. Christmas decorating this weekend…anyways, onto the story!

Disclaimer…Harry Potter and the clan belong to JK Rowling, but the characters Nico Jeshan, (pronounced Nik-o Jay-shan) and Destiny Harriman are mine. 

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"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." Snape said to his first years, Draco leaned against the wall trying not to laugh. 

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Where have I heard that before. Apparently Snape wasn't a creative person at all, or he just couldn't figure out how to scare the Gryffindors any better than the year before. But all the same, Draco enjoyed watching their faces as they clung on to every word the potions master said. Everyone except one student, Draco noticed him sitting in the corner, rolling his eyes at everything Snape said. 

When the assignment was given, Draco watched the boy closely, he reminded him of himself, over confident and cocky. The boy smirked as his "accidentally spilt" one of the Gryffindor's potions everywhere, but Draco had seen him, he had done it purposely. 

"Mister Jeshan, can I speak to you a moment please." Draco said coolly from the place he was standing. Snape looked up, smirked and went back to torturing the Gryffindors again. 

Nico looked up, rolled his eyes and went over to where Draco was standing. "What is it _Professor?" _His arrogance showed through the way he spoke. Draco smirked, oh he was going to love this. 

"I would like you to stay after class and clean up the mess you made, then you'll have detention for one week, with me." His eyes bore into the boys head as he spoke but Nico remained calm. 

"No." He said nonchalantly.

"What was that? I don't believe I heard you right?" Draco felt his anger rising, this kid was just trying to pick a fight with him, but he wasn't going to win. 

"I said, no. Have one of the stupid Gryffindor's clean it up." He spat. 

"Twenty points from Slytherin, and another week. Care to test me more Mister Jeshan?" Snape looked up at this and began to walk over when Draco looked at him with a glare. Snape shrugged and went back to stalking the room. 

"_Fine._" Nico said, turning away from Draco and walking over to where he had been sitting. 

When class was dismissed, Draco stayed behind and made sure Nico cleaned up every single spot, by hand. Draco wouldn't let him use magic, that would have been too easy. Once he left Snape came up to him.

"Good job, Draco. Couldn't have done it better myself." He patted his shoulder and went to his desk.

"This is going to be a long year." Draco sighed. 

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Hermione sat in her office, Haley sleeping in the bassinet stationed in the next room. There was a knock at the door and Hermione called out for who ever it was to come in. The door opened and a tall red head stood in the door. 

"Ginny!" Hermione squealed, jumping up to hug her friend. 

"Hi Mione. Just thought I'd come and visit for a while, I had a free period." 

"How have you been Gin?" Hermione asked, gesturing for her friend to sit down across from her. 

"Great! Mum and Dad are sending me off to go see Charlie in Romania this winter break, and I have a surprise for you." She smirked. 

"What's that?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows raising in question. 

Ginny held out her hand, a diamond ring glimmered on her ring finger. 

"Oh God, Ginny! Did Harry-" 

"Yep, he thought it was better if I told you, but he's been dying keeping it from you." She giggled as Hermione hugged her. 

"Oh I'm so happy for the both of you. What did Ron say?"

"He's alright with it, I think at least. Mum and dad are overjoyed, but a little upset about the fact that I'm going to marry one of my professors." She laughed. 

"That's alright Gin, I married my worst enemy." The girls broke out into laughter again until there was a knock at the door. 

"Come in." Hermione called. A small girl with long black hair stood in the doorway, her eyes were wide and scared as she looked around the room. 

"I'd better be going. I'll see you around Professor." Ginny winked as she stood and walked out of the room. 

"Please come in and sit down." Hermione said sweetly to the girl once Ginny had left. She obeyed and sat on the chair in front of Hermione. 

"What is it I can help you with dear?" 

"Professor Snape sent me with this." She gave Hermione the paper she had been clutching in her hands.

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Hermione, 

This girl won't talk! Get her to before I get too aggravated and strike your husband. 

Snape

Hermione laughed inwardly as she read the letter then looked up at the girl. "What's your name sweetheart?" 

"D-D-Destiny Harriman." She said quietly, avoiding Hermione's eyes. 

"It's alright Destiny, tell me what's wrong. Is it Professor Snape?" Hermione remembered how scared she was of him on the first day.

Destiny nodded, "H-h-he scares me." 

Hermione laughed and patted the girl's hand, "It's alright, he scares me too, now you go on back to class, and don't be afraid of him, if he acts up, you come back to me, okay?" She smiled warmly at the girl who nodded enthusiastically. 

"Alright sweetie, go on back to class." She handed her a pass and watched the girl walk out of her office calmly. 

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At dinner Hermione, Draco, and Harry talked about their long days, Nico and Destiny also came up in the conversation. 

"That kid seems like you Draco," Hermione laughed, of course talking about Nico.

"Shut up, dear." He said, his old drawl back again, Hermione and Harry laughed. 

Dumbledore looked over at the trio and laughed at Hermione's comment. "Seems you two are perfect for each other." He commented warmly.

"Why do you say that Albus?" Hermione asked.

"Any couple who can make fun of each other and laugh about it, will withstand anything." 

"Speaking of couples, what's this I hear about you and Ginny being engaged Harry?" Hermione smirked, looking over at the dark haired man. 

"She told you, thank Merlin, I didn't know how much longer I could have held out without telling you!" He smiled as Hermione hugged him and Draco shook his hand. 

"Congratulations Harry." The couple said together. 

"Thank you, I don't know what I would do without friends like you guys."

Draco thought for a moment, a comment like that, said to him two years ago would have been unheard of. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy…friends? Amazing. 

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That night, after Haley had been bathed, fed, and put down for bed, there was a knock at the door. Hermione went to open it and found Dumbledore standing in the doorway. 

"Hermione, I had been thinking. My sister could use a job, and she loves children, is there anyway I can persuade you to let her take care of Haley while you are working?" 

Hermione gaped at the Headmaster, "Well of course Albus. I had no idea you had a sister, but that would be wonderful. I can always use someone to talk care of her, and I hate the idea of making those house elves do it." 

Dumbledore smiled, "Wonderful, she will be here in two days, thank you." With that and a wink, he turned and walked away from the door. Hermione shut it and turned around to face her husband. 

"Who was that?" 

"Dumbledore. His sister is going to watch Haley for us while we work." Hermione shrugged. 

"I didn't know he had a sister?" 

"Neither did I." Hermione smiled.

Draco kissed her neck softly, and Hermione let out a quiet moan as he moved up to her ears and flicked them lightly with his tongue, whispering gently into her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," She whispered as he picked her up and carried her off into the bedroom. She could only hope Haley would sleep through the night that night. 

The next morning Hermione woke up and took a shower to get ready for work, Draco had apparently already gone down to breakfast as it was late and his first class was in an hour. She sighed as the warm water washed over her body. One of the house elves was feeding Haley at the moment, the baby had gotten used to elves and had taken a liking to them as they had to her. 

There was a small creak that Hermione didn't hear as the door opened to the bathroom. A cold draft came through and Hermione shivered. 

__

That's strange. She thought, but knowing the castle could be drafty sometimes she disregarded it and went on with her shower. Little did she know that there was a pair of red eyes watching from the crack in the door. As quickly as it had opened, it closed and the eyes were gone. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Draco had gone down to breakfast early, but not because of the fact he had an early class, but because of the fact that he wanted to go and see his secret garden. Once he had finished eating, he excused himself and went into the hall, making sure the coast was clear, he said the password and crawled into the hole. The garden had been kept up by the elves, and for that, Draco was thankful. 

He went to sit on the bench, where he had found out Hermione was pregnant. Thinking back to that night he smiled, glad he had decided to stay with her and the baby. Haley and Hermione were the two most important things in his life. 

As he stepped back out he didn't notice the red eyes staring at him from far away, but as his wife had, he felt a chill run down his spine. 

He walked down to the dungeons to start the day, passing the eyes not noticing them, but they were watching him. Always watching him. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

A/N 4 pages! WOO! Go me! And all in an hour and a half! I'm so proud of myself, but now is time for thank you's to all of my readers! (read the bottom too, there's an a/n down there!) 

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Chapter 3

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Lil-filly007- I changed that French thing, thanks for the info!

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Pegasus21-Don't worry, I'm definitely going to continue this story, and Haley will be included a lot in the story, thanks! Keep reading! 

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Samibeana Brittanica- thanks so much, I'm glad you like my new story and I hope to hear from you again soon!

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ILUVRONWEASLEY- I have something very big planned, don't you worry, this is going to be a story with a lot of suspense and action! Thanks for the review! 

Natalie- that isn't the first surprise, trust me, thanks for reading and the review!

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Kat Davi- no, it would be too hard to move that far ahead when Haley starts Hogwarts, but I love Draco too! Even though he can be a git sometimes. 

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M.C -thanks for the review! 

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Alyssa -thanks!

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Le joint philosophique- cute! Woo! Lol thanks 

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shadowfax-legolas- I'll try and read your story when I have time, but I can't make promises, thanks for the review!

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Psykotik- sorry, Hermione probably won't get pregnant again in this story, I'm having trouble just trying to remember that they have Haley now, and not leaving her out, lol thanks tho! 

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InsanitySquirrel321- yeah, I thought about letting her go to Hogwarts with them, but decided not to, thanks!

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Wolfdrifter- I thought about her having a boy, but another Draco…I don't know if I could live with myself, there can't be another Draco, he's too unique! Although I wouldn't mind one for myself…;-) 

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Lily Bell- this is 5 pages, I hope that's enough for you! Lol, thanks! 

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Whitetiger1017- thanks, glad you came back to review!

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Chapter 4

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Hedwig3-I hope it turns out good too! But I can only hope and write, lol. I had it Professor Hermione Granger, but decided to change it because, hey, shes a Malfoy now!

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Karen-lol thanks for reading!

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veggy-mite -I think Harry and Ginny's engangement kinda put a damper on your idea, lol that's not happening, sorry. 

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InsanitySquirrel321-thanks!

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Rupertgrintfan546- I love writing these stories and I can't tell which one is my favorite to write yet, I think maybe this one, thanks for the review!

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PinkTribeChick-it's going somewhere, I can tell you that! Hope you like it!

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ILUVRONWEASLEY- don't worry, I won't refer to them as Professor Malfoy very often, and when I do, you'll know who it is. And the action will start in the next few chapters, don't worry. 

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Kat Davi- you reminded me that I hadn't included Ginny yet, so there ya go! 

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Alyssa -don't worry, I'll continue it

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NAZ1 - yeah, I realized that mistake and changed it, thanks for the review!

Woo! There we go! Can anyone guess what's going to happen? Well…maybe, but I don't know…I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out won't you! Action will start in the next few chappies, and I'm changing the kind of story from humor and romance, to romance and suspense…maybe angst later, depends on what I do with this story. Thanks for reading…now review! 

Love and Fluff, 

Natalie


	6. Mother's Intuition

a/n...i couldn't resist, I felt compelled to write more! Hehe…I know you all don't mind, this is where the action is going to start. Speaking of action, can anyone guess what plot is going on in my twisted mind? Wouldn't you all just love to know…*Evil laugh* This is kind of a scary chapter…and so that people won't yell at me…I know you can't apparate inside of Hogwarts…I KNOW! But I'm taking creative license…after all, the likeliness of Hermione and Draco living in the same room and not killing each other is very small, but they are characters in the books! Okay people…now don't kill me. 

Disclaimer…JK Rowling is my hero…I am not my hero, therefore I can not be JK Rowling

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In the Forbidden Forest, a man sat drinking unicorn blood from a goblet. His face was old and withered, but his eyes shone with a passion for death. There was a snapping of twigs as one of his servants came and stood before him.   


"Are they there?"

"Yes master, all three of them, Draco, Hermione, and Haley."

"I want you to keep a close eye on them, don't let them leave, but I'll do the killing."

"Yes, master."

"Good, go now before you are missed."

The servant scurried off out of the forest and the man watched as they went. 

"I'll get you back for all you've done to me Draco, you'll regret not coming to my side."

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"Hermione, Draco, this is my sister, Fiona Dumbledore." An old woman looked at Draco and Hermione, smiling and with the same twinkle in her eye as her brother. 

"Nice to meet you Fiona." Hermione hugged the old woman, taking in the scent of peppermints. 

"You too deary." She said in an old, feeble, rough voice. 

"Fiona, you'll be taking care of our daughter Haley." Draco held up the baby to the woman and she took her in her arms.

"She's beautiful." She said, a quiver in her voice.

"Like her mother." Dumbledore replied, smiling at his counterpart. 

Hermione blushed and nodded her head as her daughter was handed back to her husband. "Thank you so much for doing this." She said to Fiona.

"It's no problem at all, really. But Albus, I'd really like to get some rest. If you'd excuse me." She bowed her head at the couple and walked out the door, followed by her brother.

"She seems nice." Draco said, going over to rock Haley to sleep in the rocking chair. 

"Yes, so much like Dumbledore too." Hermione laughed as she sat down on the couch and grabbed a book. She felt another draft and shivered. "Brrr." 

"What's wrong?" 

"I just got the chills, I had them this morning too." 

"Me too. That's strange, its not cold out, I wonder why its drafty."

"No clue." Hermione took the sleeping Haley from Draco's arms and went to lay her down. Both of them were unaware of the person watching them from their window. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

That night as Hermione and Draco lay sleeping in bed, a hooded figure spoke the password to their room and walked in. A cold draft shot through all of the rooms but no one woke up, except one person. Haley stirred and opened her blue eyes, looking around the room. 

The figure walked into the nursery and bent down over the baby, studying her carefully. Two small hands reached out from the black robe and began to reach for her until she began to cry. Hermione by then, having a mother's intuition had woken up. At the sound of her daughter crying she ran into the other room. She screamed as she saw the hooded figure bent over her daughter. It looked up with red eyes and apparated out of the room. *a/n…YES I KNOW THEY CAN'T APPARATE! Just refreshing your memory*

"Draco!" She screamed as her husband came running into the room.

"What's wrong?"

"T-t-there was something there, something bending over Haley." She grabbed on to her husband and sobbed into his chest.

"It's alright honey, everything is okay now." He patted her on the back and kissed the top of her head. Haley was looking around the room wildly and began to cry. Hermione went over to pick up her daughter, shushing her and rocking her back and forth. Draco stood and watched for a moment before going out to make sure everything was okay in the common room. 

When Haley was asleep Hermione went out in the common room to find Draco setting more wards up around the door. 

"That's better, anyone trying to get in won't be able to now." He looked gravely at his wife. "We'd better go to sleep, we'll report this tomorrow morning." He wrapped his arms around Hermione and they walked to their room. Neither of them got much sleep that night though.

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a/n…there ya go…short chapter, hope you like it tho…if anyone can guess what I'm thinking of doing…you get a cookie! Everyone finds those eyes scary tho…I'm glad, this isn't going to be as fluffy as a story as Opposites Attract was! Now review!

Love and Fluff, 

Natalie 


	7. Crucio

a/n…heres the next chapter, I love everyone's ideas, but no one has come close yet! I can't wait to write this chapter…there'll be some more action and some fluff in here too. 

Disclaimer…not mine, has never been mine, and never will be mine. 

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"I don't know how you can be so bloody calm about this Draco?"

"I'm not Severus, I may seem like it, but I'm not. And if I ever find out who tried to take Haley, mark my words, he or she will die. Whether it be Voldemort or not." Draco's eyes were steel cold as he spoke, his voice eerily calm. 

"Just calm down Draco. You told the Headmaster, there's not much we can do about it now."

"I know, I know. But I would just love to get my hands on whoever that was." Draco's eyes flared as Nico walked into the room. 

"Good evening Nico, Draco, I trust that you can handle this on your own?"

"Yes, thank you Severus." Snape nodded and walked out of the room, his robes billowing behind him. 

__

I need to learn how to do that. Draco sighed mentally 

"Now then Mister Jeshan, shall we proceed?"

"I guess." He rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the chairs to wait for Draco's directions. 

"Now, you will be cleaning out all of the cauldrons, by hand. No magic. All 50 of them."

"What! I refuse to."

"Mister Jeshan, unless you want another weeks worth of detentions, I suggest you do as you are told."

"Yes _Sir_." He replied, rolling his eyes.

Draco sat in the chair and watched as Nico scrubbed the cauldrons, grumbling about it. Three hours later he threw the sponge down on the desk in front of Draco. 

"Done." He said angrily.

"You may leave, but let me warn you. You come back here tomorrow night with an attitude like that and you'll be scrubbing more than just the cauldrons, trust me."

With that Nico stormed from the room and down to the Slytherin common room. Draco watched as he went and then sat back in the chair and closed his eyes. There was a cold draft and all of the lights went out and the door slammed shut. 

"Crucio." Was muttered from somewhere in the pitch black room and Draco felt the familiar pain, he screamed and the door was thrown open and the torches ignited again. The chill was gone and Nico stood in the doorway looking at Draco, sweat pouring over his face. 

"I-I was just coming back for my wand." The boy seemed scared as he looked at Draco. "Are you alright Professor?"

"Yes." Draco managed to squeak out. "Your wand is on the table." 

Nico went to get his wand, took one last glance at Draco and left the room. 

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"WHAT!?" Hermione ran over to her husband, ushering him over to the couch and sobbing into his chest. "Oh Merlin Draco, you could have been killed!" 

"Nico Jeshan walked into the room and whoever it was, was gone."

"You don't think it was him do you?"

"No, he didn't have his wand, that's why he came back. I took his wand because I made him clean the cauldrons by hand for his detention."

"This is really starting to scare me Draco."

"I know honey, me too."

"I love you, and I don't want anything to happen to you or Haley."

Draco stroked his wife's chin, "Or you."

Hermione hugged him tightly, pulling him closer to her and melting into his warm embrace. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

a/n…another really short chappie, but I have a good reason! I have the flu and I started a new story…check it out at www.fictionpress.com/~stardustndreams its an original work…so please…review!

Love and fluff, 

Natalie


	8. Taken

a/n…yikes…sorry guys, I guess I didn't update for a while, but you know how it is with school, exams, boyfriends, parents, homework, basketball games, babysitting, all that stuff, I just really haven't had time to write. I can't promise this chapter will be really long, but at least it's a chapter. Although, you might not like me too much for it. Enough talking, I'm sure you're mad enough already! Onto the chapter.

Disclaimer…if I was JK Rowling, writing would be top on my list of priorities, unfortunately, I'm not. 

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A few weeks later, nothing had happened. Special things were done to protect Hermione, Draco, and Haley, and there were no more attacks. Hermione was under a lot of stress though, and with the added stress of the baby, she was almost at her wits end. 

Arguments were more frequent between the couple now, and voices escalated enough that if there wasn't a silencing charm on the outside of Haley's room, Hermione was sure they would wake her. But it was Hermione's passion for life, and Draco's rage that got them into the worst argument yet. 

Hermione walked out of the bathroom, the mist from her recent shower floated out of the door. She wore the fluffy white robe and towel over her hair. Draco didn't even look up from his reading as she walked into the room. She sighed, she was used to this. 

"Draco," she went over and sat next to him on the couch. He slammed his book shut and looked up at her.

"What?" He snapped. 

"What is wrong with us? Ever since we came here, nothing has been the same. We don't talk, laugh, hell we don't even make love anymore Draco. We're losing ourselves."

"What do you suggest we do about it!? You're the one, if you didn't have such a stressful job then we wouldn't be in this situation, now would we!?"

Hermione flinched as Draco's words set in. "W-what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this isn't working out, your job is getting in the way. And unless you quit it and stay in the room all the time with Haley, then we're over."

"What?! Draco, that's totally rash! I'm not going to quit my job just to make you happy. And if our marriage ends, then so be it!"

Both of their tempers were rising as Draco stood up to his full height, towering over Hermione. The brunette stood her ground and glared him in the eyes. "What…did you just say?" He spat.

"I said that I won't quit my job just to make you happy." She said firmly

. 

"So you don't want me to be happy? Is that it? I know, you're running around with that fool Harry aren't you? I knew you two were too close for your own bloody good." 

"What?! Harry and I? That's preposterous! I would never! How dare you even think that! HOW DARE YOU!"

Draco stepped up and slapped Hermione across the face, she gasped and stepped back, clutching the side of her face. "You bastard." She whispered, turning away and running into the room, slamming the door and locking it tight.

Draco looked at his hand and then at the door through which his wife had just ran. Oh damn, he was going to have to do a lot of apologizing to get out of this one. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Hermione barely spoke to Draco for the next few days, and spent most of the time in her office. So it wasn't alarming when she didn't come back to the room when she was supposed to. Fiona kept watching Haley even though Draco came home. 

"Where's your beloved wife Draco?" Fiona asked.

Draco had taken a liking to the woman, but it was when she got nosey like this that he didn't like her so much. "I really don't know Fiona." 

"Maybe you should check into that, I have a strange feeling."

Draco sighed, he didn't want to ignore another one of Fiona's feelings. She had had one of those feelings when Haley was almost taken. "Alright, I'll go look."

Draco threw on his cloak and, in much like the manner of Professor Snape, stalked out of the room. Fiona smiled as he left. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Hermione sat in her office doing paperwork as there was a small knock on the door. "Come in." She called out. There was no answer and no one opened the door. "Come in!" She called a little louder. Still no reply. 

She sighed and got up and walked to the door, when she touched the doorknob, it sent a shock through her body and she blacked out. A cloaked figure opened the door, pushing the unconscious body out of the way. It levitated her stiffened body out of the door and threw an invisibility cloak over her and itself. It was later at night and no one was in the halls. The figure had a close call with Ms Norris but got past her. 

Hermione was levitated to the secret passage in the trunk of the whomping willow. The figure pushed the button with a large stick and, while the tree was frozen, put Hermione through the trunk and levitated her all the way to the shrieking shack. 

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Draco went into the office and saw that the door was ajar. "Hermione?" He called out, his heart beginning to beat faster and faster. He pulled the cord that called for a house elf and momentarily one came up behind him. 

"Yes sir?" She asked.

"I need you to send all the available house elves on a search for my wife, immediately!" He boomed, the elf's eyes got wide and she nodded and scampered off. Draco went to the headmaster's office and knocked on the door. Dumbledore opened it, his eyes twinkling.

"Why, what's the matter Draco?" 

"Hermione is missing! She didn't come back to the room and she isn't in her office." He gasped, he had had this happen before.

"Now calm down Draco, I'm sure she's fine." He assured him. 

The elf came back into the office. "I's is sorry sir, but none of us could find your wife." She said.

Draco felt himself go pale, "No." 

"It's alright Draco, we'll find her, I promise."

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a/n…alright folks, cliffy! Sorry about that, no thank you's this chapter, but next chapter will be at least 6 pages, I promise! And a lot faster. Sorry it too so long to update! Please review!

Love and Fluff,   
Natalie


	9. The Search is On!

a/n...well, I started this the next day in 3-4 study hall and kept working on it and working on it in my notebook, but I never had time to type it up, but now it's finally done! I tried to experiment with different points of view, sorry for the inconsistency but I just wanted to try it! (There's also a crossover in here with Pirates of the Carribean.) 

Disclaimer…I'm running out of witty comments to put here, so I'll just say this…I don't own it!

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The brunette woke up, eyes fluttering open, but she wasn't in her own room. This place seemed familiar to her though. 

Wait a minute, a big black dog, Sirus Black, Lupin was a werewolf, this was the bedroom at the shrieking shack!

She tried to sit up but was unsuccessful when she realized her arms and legs were tied to the bed posts. Had she been raped? No, her body would have ached too much if that would have happened. But then, who brought her here and why?

She tried to remember the last thing she did, all she remembered was walking to answer the door in her office, and that was it, after that it was a total blank.

"Is anyone there?" She called, struggling against her bindings. No answer. She was trapped. 

Not knowing what else to do, and knowing no one could hear her scream, she lay her head back on the pillow and waited for something to happen. 

At the sound of the door opening, her head popped up and looked ahead of her. Peter Pettigrew stood in front of her bed, shivering.

"Peter!" She squeaked, knowing that wherever that rat was, Voldemort wasn't far behind. 

"S-s-shes awake master." He called out through the crack in the door. 

"Bring her to me, Peter." A voice called. Hermione's body tensed up as Peter came over and with a tap of his wand, removed the ropes.

"Don't even try to escape," he hissed, "the only way out is past him, and you'll never make it past him." 

Hermione nodded, standing up as he tied the ropes around her wrists behind her back, his hands moving over her body. She kept the stray tears in her eyes, but she felt as if she could burst out crying soon.

"Go." He said warily, shoving her toward the door. She walked slowly, trying to keep her mind calm and steady. 

There was one lone chair, facing a roaring fireplace on a bearskin rug. She knew who was in that chair and she didn't care to face him. 

"My dear Hermione, Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you, yet. You're too inssssstrumental in luring your husssssband here."

"No." Hermione choked. 

"Yessss. Now if you promisssse to be a good girl and not run away we'll leave your bindingsssss off. But, the windowsssss can not be opened, and I'll set a cursssse on the doorknob that you won't be able to resisssst if you touch it. Ssssso don't try to essscape."

"Alright." She sobbed. At least now she could move around and fight back if Peter came near here again like that. 

"Peter, take our lovely guessst back to her room and sssset the wardssss like I told you to." He hissed.

"Yes Master." Peter shoved her in the direction of the bedroom and did as he was told. All the while, casting longing looks at Hermione and feeling the curves of her body more than he should have.

"Despicable," She murmured under her breath. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

*Harry's POV, first person*

There was a pounding at my door, and I got up to answer it. I saw a red faced Draco panting in the doorway. 

"Hermione's missing!" He yelled, his eyes on fire. 

"What!?" I gasped, grabbing my cloak from the hook near the door. 

"You don't know where she's at do you?" He eyed me cautiously. 

"If I did, I would tell you. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her mate." I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and he nodded. "Where could she have gone?"

"No where, she was taken. I found her office door open when I went to look for her. She never does that! She always closes the door when she leaves." 

"Alright, calm down Draco. We'll find her." In my heart, I just hoped it was in time. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

*Back to Draco, 3rd person*

The blonde man paced back and forth in the headmaster's office, waiting for any new news about his wife.

Dumbledore walked in, his eyes worn and tired. He cast a glance at Harry then looked dead on at Draco. "She's missing Draco, no one has seen her all day. Even the house elves haven't been able to find her. We don't know where she could be."

"No." He whispered.

"I've called the Ministry and a very special auror, Harry, go down to the entrance hall and wait for him. He should be here any moment." 

Harry nodded, walking out the door and down to the entrance hall, while Draco just nodded blankly at Dumbledore, too worried about his wife to do anything else. 

A few minutes later Harry returned, followed by a familiar looking red head. His eyes showed fear and sorrow as he looked at Draco, his enemy turned friend.

"Don't worry mate, we'll find her, if I have to die trying." He said supportively. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

The witty, intelligent witch, once deemed as Hogwart's smartest, for once, could not devise a plan to get herself out of a bad situation. Maybe it was the fact that her friends weren't with her for once. 

With no food, water, or bathroom, all she could do was sit and hope that someone would rescue her soon.

She started singing to herself after a while, songs of hope that she remembered from her childhood.

"In the quiet, misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed. When the sparrows start their singing, and the sky is clear and red. When the summers ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime, when adventures lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time. If you find it's me your missing, if you're hoping I'll return. To your thoughts I'll soon be listening, in the road I'll stop and turn. Then the wind will set me racing, as my journey nears its end, and the path I'll be retracing, when I'm homeward bound again." 

"To the sky from the earth in lofting flight, from the hill so green in the blush of spring. So away with the shall I fly, shall I fly, from this place to a land, so far away. Softly now with the dawn I will ride with the wind, o'er the hills through the mist, on the wings of the, spirit fly, spirit fly, to a cloud up above, spirit fly to a place beyond the sky. Spirit fly, spirit fly, to a cloud up above, spirit fly to a place, beyond the sky. Spirit fly, spirit fly to a place on high, softly now, with the dawn, I go with the." 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

"Harry!" Ginny hurled herself against her fiancé's chest, shaking with heavy sobs.

"No, no sweetheart, don't cry. We'll find her, she'll be fine." He soothed her, stoking her hair. 

"Ginny, if you would like to take a personal day off today, feel free to." Dumbledore offered.

"Thank you professor."

"Well I suggest we get to work." Ron said, taking some strange looking contraptions out of a case. 

"Yes, of course." Draco replied, watching Ron go to work, silently praying that Hermione was alright.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Peter brought food to Hermione the next day, wonderfully delicious food. Being as ravenous as she was at the moment, she gulped it down, not even caring or stopping to think that it might be poisonous. 

"Master requests your presence in the hall." Peter squeaked.

"Alright," she replied, she was no longer scared of death, it was too close to be scared of. 

"Ah, my fair girl." He said, never turning around once Hermione entered the room. "I have a little job for you to do. More of a favor." 

"Yes?"

"I requesssst your attendance to dinner tonight. Peter will give you new clothing to wear, we can have ourselvessss a little talk."

"And if I refuse?"

"You'll be dining with Peter, naked."

Hermione gave one look at Peter, whose eyes were wide with anticipation. She had to go to dinner with Voldemort, although she wasn't looking forward to it.

The outfit Peter gave her was a long red velvet dress, form fitting, low cut V-neck, but it was amazing. She slipped it on, noticing it fit her quite nicely. 

Peter knocked quietly, coming in after a few seconds of silence. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

She followed him down the steps, to a large dining room. Candles were lit and there were piles of mouthwatering food decorating the table. 

At the end of the table a chair was turned around, facing the wall. Two white, gnarly hands gripped the arms of the chair.

She sat down where Peter directed her to and he scurried off to where Voldemort was sitting, whispering something to the man in the chair. 

"Hermione, are you ready to sssee what Harry Potter hassss made of me?"

"Yes." She choked.

Peter turned the chair around using all of his strength. Hermione didn't know whether to scream, run, or vomit. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

"Gentlemen, I'm pleased to tell you we will he having another helper in the search for Hermione. He has senses beyond those of a human, more like those of a…werewolf." Dumbledore smirked.

Draco felt a little more weight rise off his shoulders. He had never really cared for Lupin, be he knew he could really help to find Hermione. 

"How can he help us at all? It's two weeks until the full moon? His senses won't work until then, right?" Draco asked.

"They're good all year round." A tired Lupin commented from the doorway. 

"Hello Remus." Dumbledore said. 

"Albus." He nodded his head toward the headmaster, then looked at Draco. 

"Can you really help us, Professor?"

"I'll sure as bloody hell try." He laughed. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

A/N…well! 1695 words and almost 4 full pages…6 with the thank you's. and here they are…theres another author's note at the end, so read that!

Thank you's for chapters 5-8

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Gina- Thanks…I know that I never really described Haley, I never even thought about doing it. I'll try and remember to do that sometime soon. Maybe the next chapter

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**Jinxy3**-thanks…I'm glad you like my writing so much, I thought maybe the garden would come in handy later in the story. No Lucius is not coming back, keep guessing!

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**Lovely-Lina1985**- I'm glad you found my story again too! Thanks for reading

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**purrtinapearson**- yep, I remember you! Thanks for coming back!

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**Beautiful Elf**- Not Voldemort, but someone very close to him…the eyes will soon be figured out, don't worry, lol  


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~Katrina ariella m- Yeah, Dumbledore has a sister…creative liscense, lol. Everyone finds those eyes weird…even I do! Lol, thanks.

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**gazy****- **….yeesh, this will be a long thank you…first off, I'll read your story when I have time, but I can't guarantee when, I'll try to soon, but I have to write, second, I never said anything about Draco being potions and Snape going to work for the order, Draco is apprentice, that's it. Third, I try to make my chapters longer, but sometimes it just doesn't work, and if you want longer chapters, you have to wait longer for me to write them, that's just the way I am. I also try to be descriptive, and I have no clue how you want me to add more empathy to my story, so if u would like to answer THAT question, feel free. Fourth, the fictionpress.com thing is something completely different, its not a fan fiction story…its just an original story written by me. 

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**ILUVRONWEASLEY****-** yep, it's a stalker…but WHO is the stalker? And I fixed it that Draco was so calm, at least I think I did, and if I didn't I meant to, lol. That fight they had was intentional, just to make them seem more realistic, like you said. 

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**Kat Davi**- Freakish, funny, and fluffy. Hehe, I love alliteration! And no…its not Fiona, although a lot of people have guessed that. I didn't want them to get in a fight with Haley in the room, too much personal experience with that lately. 

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Naz1- No, Haley won't get kidnapped, but Hermione did

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Princess Moi- thanks! 

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**Princess Faye****-** uhh, for the advice you asked for, have her get online and look at some people stories, and read them, then see if she has a greater feeling to get a pen name and post it.

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Wolfdrifter- what do you think is going on? I'd love to know, no one has gotten it right yet. 

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**Iween-Felton****- **I always feel so great when people from other countries read my stories and like them a lot, thanks so much for reading!

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**PinkTribeChick****- **I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out whose after them won't you? Thanks for the support! And now you know what happened to Hermione!

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Alyssa- thanks, I'll try to read your story when I have time…but I've got a long list of stories to read to begin with, on top of writing my own. 

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**InsanitySquirrel321****-** thanks!

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**Rupertgrintfan546****-** thanks! I had him hit her so that they would seem more real, like a real couple, not just characters in a book, people get mad sometimes ya know?

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**Cori Chaning****- **no, they won't die, I promise

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**Samibeana Brittanica****-** well, yes and no, its not Voldemort, but it is a servant of his, and no, Hermione got taken, not Haley.

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**Dark Queen of Roses****- **nope, not Fiona, I love ur pen name tho!

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**Hallie Walker**- thanks so much for reading!

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Rstarbreeze- dun dun duuuuun!hehe, lol

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**Lady Malfoy12****- **yep, the song is from Anastasia, that's gonna be my wedding song, I love it!

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**Amy85****-** realistic was what I was going for!

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**scholcomp25**- thanks!

a/n…if I forgot anyone, I'm sorry. The next chapter will be in a few days, maybe 2 weeks, not sure. Hope you like this one tho! Sorry I left on a cliffy! Hehe. I'm working on a songfic, but its not Hermione/Draco its Hermione/George…hehe r/r it!

Love and Fluff,   
Natalie


	10. Dinner with Voldemort

a/n….*runs and hides in corner* don't flog me…please…I have a few reasons for not updating…I had to write a valentine's day gift exchange story (Titled Forbidden Love, should be posted when you read this)…and then we changed from AOL to DSL so I've been playing with the fast things now…hehe…yeah…other than that, soooooo sorry to leave you like that. There really are no good excuses, I just hope you all are still going to read my story, considering that some people haven't even realized that this is a sequel, I'd hate to lose even MORE readers because I'm human and don't have time for everything. Alright, I've kept you waiting for long enough. 

Disclaimer…*sigh* don't own it, never will, but I did add two new characters, John Anelleo and Caroline Bloom are mine. 

_.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._

That night at dinner, Ron and Lupin sat at the professors table with their friends, some of the students in higher grades eyed them warily, wondering why they could be there. Then their eyes strayed to the empty seat of their Assistant Headmistress. When the plates were cleared and the chattering died down, Dumbledore stood up.

"As I'm sure you've all noticed, we have two guests in our school, Misters Weasly and Lupin, I expect you to treat them with respect and help them in any way possible. Thank you."

"That would have been a confusing speech if I didn't have any clue what he was talking about." Laughed Ron, Harry smiled and shook his head in agreement. 

"Come on Draco, maybe you should go and lay down, you look like death warmed over." Harry grabbed Draco's arm and stood him up, he looked at the floor as they walked him back to his room. Ron left after a few minutes of walking when he spotted Lupin, but Harry walked him the entire way to his room. 

"It's alright mate, nothing is going to happen to her, she's the strongest woman I know, she'll fight it out for you and Haley."

"I hope so Harry, I'd die without her."

"Go get some rest, I'm going to go and find Ginny, I'm sure she could use some comforting too. I'm sure that Fiona is in there, go spend some time with Haley, I'm sure she misses her Daddy."

"Alright, thanks Harry."

"No problem, anything for a friend."

Harry left Draco to his room and walked down the hall to find Ron and Lupin, they were in Hermione's office standing with their arms folded and looking around. "No luck?"

"None, there isn't a trace of her, she could be _anywhere_." Lupin sighed.

"Could you possibly find out who were the last people to walk into this door?" Harry asked, running his hand over the top of the wooden door frame and past the handle. 

"Yes, we could find out who the last ten people were to walk through the door, but they wouldn't be in any order. They would just be in a big heap, we'd have to root through them in order to find out who it was." Lupin reasoned.

"Well, that's better than nothing isn't it? At least we'd have a list of suspects." Ron said, pulling his wand out of the holster on his wrist. "_Previosa!"_

The three men watched as Ron's wand began to give off brilliant purple and blue sparks, he let go of it and it stayed almost glued to the doorknob. Then the wand turned vertical, and a royal blue mist came out of it, along with the figures of 10 people. Most of them were students, but of course, the 5 men had already been through the door, so the wand spit them out along with 5 other people."

"Alright, let me write this down, Harry, tell me who the people were." Lupin said, grabbing a quill and sheet of parchment. 

"Draco, Dumbledore, Ron, me, you, Ginny, Nico Jeshan, Destiny Harriman, John Anelleo, he's a fourth year, and Caroline Bloom, she's a second year I believe." 

"That makes 10, and we can cross off 6 of them, unless one of you would like to confess to the kidnapping of Hermione Granger." Lupin smiled.

"Alright, so Nico, Destiny, John, and Caroline. I highly doubt that any of them would be capable of kidnapping though. They all seem like good kids." Harry said.

"You never know Harry, one of them could be the Dark Lord and you'd never know it." Ron said, looking at the list.

"Yeah, I suppose, I mean he hid under our noses in first year with Quirrell." Harry remembered. 

_.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._

"Look at me Hermione!" He demanded, she had shut her eyes as soon as she caught a glimpse of him.

"No! It…it can't be!" She sobbed, her arms covering her face.

"Yes! NOW LOOK AT ME!" He screamed, grabbing her arm and yanking it away from her face. 

"Oh, God, you look just like him!" She said hysterically, looking at him wildly. "Why?!"

"Once I dispose of him, it will come of great help to me to look like him so I can get into Hogwarts and get closer to Potter and Dumbledore."

Hermione looked at him, the most hated wizard in the world, and the most feared. He looked just like Draco, right down to the slicked back hair and hateful grin. He had even trained his voice to sound like Draco's. 

"No! You can't kill him! I won't let you!"

"You're in no position to tell me no Mudblood, I could kill you right here and right now and not bat an eye, but you're too instrumental in getting your husband here, as I said before."

"But why Draco?" She asked, wiping her eyes and baring him in the eyes. 

"Because people trust him now that Lucius is gone, and I want to kill him for killing one of my most trusted followers."

"So it's for revenge?"

"I want to kill him, Potter, Dumbledore, and the entire school of Hogwarts with the exception of a few of my followers that go there. One of them was very helpful in getting you here. Of course their name is of no matter to you now, you're just my bait, you will be disposed of along with your husband." He spat hatefully, sounding so much like Draco that it terrified her even more. 

"And my baby? What about Hailey?"

"She's part of the Malfoy line! We'll take her and raise her to be a death eater. Maybe even a suitable wife for me or one of the death eaters, pity she has dirty blood. But she is the last of the Malfoy's, not including that bloody wench Narcissa, she always did get in the way."

"No, I'd rather have my baby killed than have her become a death eater." Hermione said hysterically.

"Fine, we'll kill her, and throw her body with her bloody useless parents!" He shut his eyes long enough to give Hermione the chance to grab a steak knife off of the table. She knew it was useless because he had his wand, but it was her only hope.

"What are you planning to do with that Granger? Kill me? Or maybe yourself? It'd be stupid to do that now, bleeding with poison in you is a horrible way to die, I'd just Avada Kedavra you and you'd be out of your misery." He laughed the most sinister laugh Hermione had ever heard. 

"What are you planning on doing to me?" She asked, the wheels in her mind turning, hoping to figure out how to warn Draco. 

"Your husband is undoubtedly looking for you, one of my servants will just, help him along a little bit. Then, once he comes here, I'll take him, torture and kill him, then sneak back into Hogwarts with you, act like everything is bloody brilliant again, and then, kill everyone in the school at the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match. Of course, you won't remember that, you won't remember any of this conversation when you go back into your room, a nice memory charm should do the trick."

"I'd rather die and go to hell then be part of your scheme to kill my husband Voldemort." She said coldly, mustering up as much courage as she had to glare him in the eye. 

"Be my guest, but trust me my sweet, you know nothing of hell." He gripped her on the chin with enough force Hermione was sure that he could have broken her jaw. "Peter! Take her back to her room and do what you wish with her." He sneered. 

Peter came and grabbed her by the arm, "Come on wench, lets go have some fun." He sniggered, his yellow teeth showing out of broken lips. 

Voldemort snickered at the sound of Hermione's screams from the bedroom, wishing that there was perhaps a spell to turn her to the dark side that wasn't so, deforming. The spell always turned out horribly, burning the skin off of the victim so badly that the stench could be smelled for miles away. Too bad, she really was a beautiful snarky witch, and he hadn't had female company in a long time. 

_.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._.~*~._

A/N! well…I hope you don't hate it, it was kinda a last minute thing to add Voldemort looking like Draco in there, I was going to describe this evil horrible thing, but it just seemed so…fitting. And of course the Hermione/Peter and Hermione/Voldemort thing…so sorry, but I just had to add it in there for the angst factor. Things will get brighter people! I promise! It is kinda short tho, and for that I am sorry, but I had a busy spring break and I really wanted to update…the next one will be longer! Promise! 

Love and Fluff,   
Natalie


	11. Lost in the Wind

A/N…well, after a very rushed end of the school year and a great vacation to Myrtle Beach, I'm back! I got tons of summer homework stupid high school for AP History and Honors English, I have a total of 6 books to read before the end of the summer, with assignments for all of them. Joy. Anyway…how come no one has reviewed my "Forbidden Love" story?! I've had one review…come on people! Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it. I think things should start to look brighter, I have no clue what to write yet, but don't worry…things will work out.

Disclaimer…I own every single word of this story, but none of the characters and such…good enough for you?

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"Professor Malfoy?" Draco looked up to see a timid little girl standing in the doorway of the potions classroom. He knew her, but couldn't recall her name at the moment.

"Yes? Erm…"

"Destiny Harriman."

"Oh, yes. What can I help you with?" He had been grading quizzes for Snape, anything to get his mind off Hermione.

"I-I think I might know what happened to your wife." She said quietly, looking down at the floor and kicking dust around with her feet.

"W-what?" He stood up and went over to the little girl and knelt down. "Where, where's Hermione? Who took her?!" He grabbed the little girl's shoulders and shook her slightly. She screamed. "I-I'm sorry. I…I just need to find my wife. Would you like to go and tell Lupin and Ron what you know?"

Destiny shook her head and still looked down at the floor. "I…I found this in her office, I thought it might be helpful. Please, don't tell anyone I was in there. I was looking for her to…ask her a question, and this was laying by the door." She began to cry as she handed Draco the note.

"Thank you, I promise I won't speak a word, I'll just tell them someone laid it on my desk." He hugged her, he had become much softer toward children since Haley was born. Destiny dried her eyes, shook her head and ran out of the room. Draco stood up and read the note.

As I'm sure you've realized, your beloved wife is gone. She'll be killed within a week if you don't find her. So, don't rush. Because I'm such a nice man, I'll give you a hint, her screams won't be recognized as her own, just lost in the wind.

That was all it said. Draco ran out of the classroom and up to Hermione's office. Ron and Lupin looked up as he came in.

"What is it mate?!" Ron said, dragging Draco a chair over for him to sit. He was white as a ghost and panting something horrible. He handed the note to Ron and watched the redhead go white as he read it.

"What? What does it say?" Lupin and Harry crowded around the note that Ron was holding.

"Her screams won't be recognized as her own, just lost in the wind." Lupin repeated, perplexed.

"Where could she be?" Harry asked, sitting down behind Hermione's desk and reading the note again.

"Anywhere, but that clue has got to give us something. Lets think for a minute, why wouldn't her screams be recognized?" Lupin rationalized.

"Because there are too many that hers would just be lost in the wind?" Ron said. Looking up at Draco who had his face in his hands.

"But…where? The Shrieking Shack!" Lupin jumped up and the men all looked at him.

"That's got to be it! She's got to be there!" Harry said, running out of the office to go and find Dumbledore.

Ron walked over to Draco and helped him up out of the chair. "Don't worry mate, she'll be alright. We're bound to find her now."

..........

Hermione lay on her bed, her body was aching horribly, but she didn't remember why. Then she looked around the room and the memories came flooding back. Voldemort was going to kill Draco, Haley, and her, and she couldn't do a damned thing about it.

So, she turned over, buried her face into the pillow and cried. It was her weakest moment.

The door opened slightly and Hermione looked up. Peter stood in the doorway, a huge grin on his face.

"What do you bloody want?" She snapped.

"Master wishes to see you." He said devilishly. She rolled her eyes and stood up, it was no use resisting him anymore.

"Hermione." Voldemort smiled, it was Draco's smile though. Merlin, she hated that man with so much passion she felt as if she could kill him with her bare hands, if he wouldn't kill her first. He looked so much like Draco, and Draco was nothing like this.

"Yes?" She said coyly. Not blinking. _Might as well be a smart ass, he's going to kill you anyway._ She thought to herself.

"Please, have a seat. Make yourself…comfortable." Voldemort watched her as she walked over to the chair across from him and sat down.

"There, as bloody comfortable as sitting on a cloud." She said coolly.

"Now now, there's no point in being smart. It won't make me kill you any quicker or any less." He laughed again, she hated that laugh as much as she hated him. It was so cold it felt like someone had stabbed an icicle down her spine.

"What do you want with me?"

"Your husband is on his way, the note I meant for him to find, was found. He knows where you are now. I also have a sort of…proposition to make to you." It was now his turn to smile coyly.

"Really? Well I'm not interested."

"Oh, I really think you should be. It could involve you walking away from this alive, along with your daughter, along with a lifetime of protection for you and her both."

"And Draco?"

"He'll still be killed, but wouldn't you rather live than die with him?"

"I'd rather be dead than live a day without him." She said coldly.

"How…romantic." He hissed. "But, you're still going to help me, or else I'll make you watch him die, horribly and painfully." He laughed again, and Hermione could feel her heart begin to sink. There really was no way out of this.

"Never." She stood up from her chair and looked at Peter. "Take me back, I have no further things to talk about with this evil bastard."

Peter looked at Voldemort who just glared at Hermione and then nodded to his servant. "You'll regret that wench. You will."

"I don't regret you bloody bastard." She walked with Peter back to her room and sat down on the bed, fuming. How dare he even suggest letting her watch Draco die just so she could live. She'd rather burn in the depths of hell than to have that on her for the rest of her life.

..........

"Our first step has got to be to get back up from the ministry. If we know where Voldemort is, we'll have to kill him." Lupin said. They had formed the group in Hermione and Draco's common room and they began making their strategy.

"But we'd be putting Hermione in danger." Draco said. "I think we should just go as we are, less spells flying, the less chance that there is that Hermione would get hit."

"Voldemort will have death eaters there though." Ron sighed.

"He's right. If we get the entire ministry together, we might just have a fighting chance." Lupin agreed.

"Alright, so we get the ministry together, then what?" Draco looked around the group of men.

"Then…we attack and hope for the best. Merlin only knows what Voldemort is hiding, or has planned. We've got no better chances than that." Ron said, shaking his head unknowingly.

"Everything will be alright Draco. We've beat Voldemort for the last 7 years of our lives, I'm not about to give up now." Said Harry, patting Draco on the shoulder.

Draco nodded his head. "I'm going to go and spend some time with Haley. Write the ministry and let them know." The men just looked at him sadly as he stood up and went off to the nursery.

Fiona was in there feeding the baby as Draco walked in. She looked up and smiled warmly. "Would you like to give her the rest of her bottle?"

"If you wouldn't mind." He said, taking Haley from her nanny and sitting down in the rocking chair. Fiona smiled at him again and then shut the door to the nursery as she walked out.

Draco felt his throat clench up as he looked as his daughter. She looked so much like Hermione, she had curly brown hair but Draco's light complexion. She also had Hermione's honey brown eyes, they stared up at Draco, and he could almost tell that the little girl knew what was going on.

"Haley…I know you probably don't understand this, but I love you with all of my heart. I have to go away for a few days to go find your mommy, an evil man took her. But, I promise you will be safe. I'd never let anything happen to you. I let something happen to mommy, and its all my fault, and I'm so sorry. I promised that I'd never let anything happen to any of my girl, and I let you both down. Now, you're all I have until I find her, and I will. Daddy promises that much, I will find your mommy and I'll bring her home, and that night, we'll have a big party, and you'll get so many hugs and kisses that you'll think that you'd been gone for a year. And then I'll never let you or mommy out of my sight again, and that evil man that took her, he'll be gone forever. And we can live happily ever after, just like in your fairy tales." He looked down at his daughter as the first few tears dropped from his eyes. She was sleeping now and he stood up, kissed the crown of her head, and laid her down in her crib.

"I love you Haley." He whispered as he blew out the last of the candles in her room. "And your mommy loves you too."

..........

A/N…wow, just about cried writing that, anyways, hope you like that chapter, and please review! Now that it is summer, you can expect more updates from me! Yay! So please review this and then r/r my other Hermione/Draco stand alone called Forbidden Love, if you like this, you're bound to like that one.

Love and fluff,

Natalie


	12. Are You Mad?

a/n…okay, now…I just started soccer conditioning, and I still have all of my summer reading to do, and someone also said that I needed to make my chapters longer, and then someone else complained that I needed to update…so this is my compromise. This chapter will be 4-5 pages, and I'm updating ASAP, then my next chapter will be even longer, I'm hoping on 7-8 pages I hope this accommodates everyone, and as I said before, I'm only human. There's a little excerpt in here that's from the 3rd book, but I've added a few things to make it fit, but I believe the dialogue is all JK Rowling's.

Disclaimer…insert witty comment about me not owning Harry Potter here

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"Draco…this really is for your own good." Harry sighed from the other side of the wooden doorway.

"I want to help you find her!" He screamed, pounding on the other side. They had locked him in the room without his wand and were going to go and get Hermione.

"Draco, you can't risk it, you aren't stable enough yet! Stay with Haley, keep her safe. I promise we'll bring Hermione back to you."

"NO! I need to be there…I need to help find her!" He cried, pounding his fists one final time on the door. He lay his head against the dark wood and began to slide down to the floor.

Harry sighed again and turned, he really didn't feel like arguing with him anymore. He walked away from the rooms, shaking his head and looking out the windows of the old castle. It seemed so weird to be here with Ron and without Hermione.

__

I really do hope we find her, losing her would kill everyone. He stopped and went over to the nearest door, smiling, it was the entrance to the girl's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He recalled everything that had happened in that room. The Chamber, Polyjuice, Hermione turning into a cat.

There were so many memories that he had with his best friends in these halls, and he couldn't bear to imagine losing the brains of the "Golden Trio." Especially to Voldemort, someone they had conquered all those years they had been there. He couldn't loose her to him now.

"Is he all secured?" Ron said, jarring Harry from his thoughts.

"Yes, he put up a fight though. He wanted to help us find her."

The red head nodded, "I'd expect that. He loves her so much, he'd be the one that would jump in front of an Avada Kedavra to save her."

"We love her too though, Ron." Harry said, looking his friend in the eyes solemnly.

"I'd die for her, I know I would." Ron agreed. Harry nodded.

"Ready gentlemen?" Remus said, interrupting their conversation, the two best friends looked at each other one last time and nodded to their old professor.

"As we'll ever be I suppose." Harry said.

The three men followed a group of Ministry officials and Order members. They took the front way to the Shack, up through Hogsmeade. The entire time they prepped themselves, their hearts were racing and their complexions pale. This was it. They were facing death in the eye just to save one of their best friends. But somehow, they knew it was worth it.

They reached the bottom of the hill that the old house stood on. It was very misty out, but the skies shone with stars, they had walked on the light of the moon the entire way there and now the sparkling of the stars made the house look more eerie than before.

"Ah…" Harry grabbed his forehead. "My scar."

"He's in there, he has to be. Are you gonna be alright mate?" Ron looked with concern at his friend.

"Yes, I've helped every time, I've got to kill him for doing this to my friend." Harry said, his eyes squinting from the pain in his forehead.

"We're ready." Lupin whispered to the two, they looked up to see the ministry officials running up the hill, their wands at the ready. They decided not to apparate into the building for their lack of knowledge of where Voldemort or Hermione may be.

The two best friends gave one last meaningful look at each other and then followed the officials up the hill.

..........

"Good news my pet, your husband is coming." Voldemort said to Hermione, his cold eyes piercing into her heart.

"No…" She sobbed, throwing her head into the pillows. Her body was so weak now from the rapes and the beatings, the lack of food, that she could barely move.

"No sense in crying my dear, you'll all be dead soon enough." His merciless laugh filled the stale air of the small bedroom.

With that, he left her, a heap of sobbing woman, her clothes were torn and ragged, her hair no longer shone or curled in beautiful ringlets. She looked nothing at all like she used to, and she felt like nothing. It was like she was back in Lucius's hell hole again.

She no longer was bound to the bed, but was too weak to even get up and walk around. Her body had given up, but her mind was screaming at her. DON'T GIVE UP! YOU'VE GOT TO LIVE FOR HALEY AND DRACO!

"I love you." She whispered to her husband and daughter, even though she knew they couldn't hear her. For some reason, she felt as if they could.

..........

Back at Hogwarts, Draco sat on his and Hermione's bed, stroking Haley's sleeping form next to him. Her back rose and fell quietly and she looked like an angel had come to lay down beside him and shield him from everything that was happening.

He had finally given up on trying to get out of that room, it was like he was locked in a prison. Just like his wife. He thought of her, her beautiful smile and warm face, those golden brown ringlets and honey brown eyes. He was her angel, and he could do nothing to help her. Nothing.

"God Hermione, if I would have known all of this would have happened, I would have never let you come here." He sighed, running his hand over the crown of his head.

He thought back over all of the memories that he had with his wife. That first day when they had met on the train, and how horrible he had been to her all those years. He laughed at the memory of the first time she had slapped him in their 3rd year.

__

The castle was still under heavy guard and they had been heading back up from the Care of Magical Creatures class. Malfoy and his cronies had been standing at the top of the hill looking down at Hagrid's hut.

"Look at him blubber!" Draco had said, laughing at the sobbing form of the half-giant. "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Harry and Ron had both made furious moves toward Draco but Hermione had gotten there first and slapped him across the face with all the strength she could muster. She raised her hand to slap him again but Ron made an attempt to grab her hand.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul-- you evil--" After Ron's weak attempt to stop her, she grabbed her wand from her pocket and put it to Draco's throat. He had stepped back and Crabbe and Goyle stood flabbergasted at the witch's actions.

"C'mon." He had muttered, taking one last look at the witch and running off down the passageway to the dungeons.

He shook his head, "Merlin, I was such a jerk to her and I never realized it until now."

__

Yet, somehow or another, she loves you with all she has, his mind argued.

"What if I had turned down being Head Boy, or I had gone off to Durmstrang like Father wanted me to. I wouldn't have her, I wouldn't have any of this." At this thought, Draco did something rarely ever seen by human eyes. He broke down, and cried.

..........

"Remus!" Harry called up the hill, the man turned around to look at Harry.

"What?"

"I know we had a plan, but I've got a better one." He swallowed as Lupin looked at him, it was a little late for a change of plans now, but it was worth a shot. "Let me go in, lure Voldemort away from Hermione, you go in and kill Peter, because we all know he's got to be in there, and then…well…." He faded.

"Are you sure about that Harry?"

"I would die to save my friend Remus, of course I'm sure. It's the best thing I can think of to do other than just running in there blind with no idea what could happen."

"You don't know what could happen either mate." Ron said from behind him. "Let me go with you."

Lupin looked at the two men, Harry gave an assertive nod, and Lupin called the others back. They looked at the two as if they were insane.

"You're going to face Voldemort without any back up just to save your friend?" One asked incredulously.

"Bloody mad." Another muttered.

Harry and Ron shrugged it off but inside, their hearts were racing faster and faster each moment. They were beginning to think that they were both going mad.

"Lets go Ron. We're wasting precious time just standing here." Harry sighed. Lupin wished the two luck as they drew their wands and finished walking up the hill toward the shack. This _was _mad.

They entered the house and stood there in the entranceway. This really was it, there was no turning back now, they were sure that Voldemort knew they were in the house.

"Voldemort?! Come out, face me like a real man. Or are you a real man, you couldn't even bloody kill me when I was a baby, so what makes you so sure you could kill me now?" Harry called out, he had to lure him somehow.

Ron looked at him in disbelief, he had just insulted the most powerful and dangerous man in the wizarding world.

They began to creep up the rickety stairs, although the creeping wasn't really needed, he knew they were here. But to them, it would have made no sense for him to leave, he had to have kidnapped Hermione to get someone here. Even if it wasn't them.

Harry's scar began to pound worse as they came to the top of the stairs. At the end of the hall there was a door slightly ajar and a fire could be seen flickering inside. He was in there.

They walked toward the door, their wands at the ready, Avada Kedavra on the tips of their tongues. Harry pushed the door open slightly, and then a little more.

"Welcome." Said a cold voice from inside.

They stepped in the room, facing someone they weren't prepared to face. "Draco?" Ron said disbelievingly.

"It can't be, you're at Hogwarts." Harry said, shaking his head but not lowering his wand. He watched as the blonde toyed with his own wand, twirling it in his fingers.

"Am I? I seem to be standing right here aren't I Harry?" He said, his eyes steel gray slits.

"It's a trick, why would Draco kidnap his own wife? Besides, I locked that door with enough wards that it would take years to get through." Harry said coldly. "And my scar, it wouldn't be hurting this bad."

Harry looked at Draco's hands, twirling the wand absentmindedly, as if this were tea-time and he was bored out of his mind. But wait, he wasn't wearing his ring. The wedding ring that he never took off. It couldn't be him, it _was_ a trick. He gripped his wand a little tighter.

They kept talking, but Harry's mind was in a blur. He had to kill him.

"Where is Hermione? Is she alright?" Ron asked cautiously.

Draco smirked that infamous smirk. "I don't know, is she? After all, she's just a filthy Mudblood. I never cared for her anyway."

It was at this that Harry snapped. He gripped his wand, his knuckles white. "A filthy Mudblood? Is that all you ever thought of her Draco?" He began to walk toward Voldemort, after all, that was who it had to be.

"She was a toy in my game. All I ever wanted was to kill you Potter." He spat.

"Really?" He stepped close enough to where he was a foot away from the blonde, Harry still was taller than him, which gave him the advantage. "Tell me, _Draco,_ then what made you decide to keep Haley?" It was the way that Harry had said his name that made Ron realize exactly what was going on.

"To make it seem like everything was alright, of course."

"Draco would never give up his daughter or his wife for anything, _Voldemort._" Harry hissed.

The man raised his eyebrows, along with his wand. "Avada…"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Ron screamed, his wand aimed at Voldemort. The spell hit the man and he screamed out before falling to the ground. Harry looked down in disbelief. They had killed Voldemort that easily? It was impossible. And…it hadn't even been Harry to kill him, it had been…Ron.

"Is he?" Ron asked, walking over to where Harry stood over the once powerful wizard.

"I think so. Send a signal, get them up here." Harry said.

Before Ron could even get to a window, there were popping sounds of 10 wizards apparating into the room. They stood around the fallen form of Voldemort.

"Merlin." Lupin whispered. "How…who…"

"Hermione!" Harry gasped, remembering the entire reason they had come there. He ran to one of the doors at the other end of the room, wrenching it open. She lay there, unconscious on the bed.

"Oh God, Hermione…" He whispered rushing to her side. "Hold on."

..........

a/n…blah…I don't like it…what do you people think? Do you think I should rewrite it? Let me know please, review!

Love, Fluff, and Fairytale Kisses,

Natalie


	13. Recovery

a/n…im still contemplating rewriting that last chapter…but I dunno, here's the long chapter I promised. Thank you's are at the end. And I promise that I won't cheat, the chapter will be 7-8 pages, and then the thank you's will be however many more…this one is kind of depressing, but also going to be fluffy toward the end…I hope you like it! (PS…I know there probably isn't a maternity ward at St. Mungos, but I'm making one!)

Disclaimer…I don't own Harry Potter and the gang…I just enjoy screwing with their lives…

…………

"Hold on Hermione, please…" Harry said, watching as the medi-wizards loaded one of his best friends onto a stretcher and levitated her out of the room.

"So let me get everything straight. Ron, you tried to save Harry with an Avada Kedavra before Voldemort was about to kill him?" One of the Ministry officials wrote this all down on his notepad as Ron nodded in agreement.

"This is unbelievable." Harry sighed. His red-headed friend looked up at him.

"Why?"

"You killed him, Ron. You killed the man that has been the bane of my existence since I was born. I didn't even get a shot at him."

"All I wanted to do was save my two best friends, Harry." He said, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"Yes, I suppose so. Thank you for that Ron."

The Boy-Who-Lived looked at his best friend, through all their fights, arguments, and differences over the years, he couldn't have asked for a better friend. He realized that he would be dead at the moment if his friend hadn't acted in the call of duty. He felt a wave of thankfulness wash over him.

"Ron…I never told you this, and it's going to sound really weird coming from me, but I think you should know." Harry sighed, his friend looked up at him. "I'm jealous of you, and I've always been jealous of you."

"What? Why?"

"You have a _normal_ life Ron. You don't have people that want to kill you, people that stare at you or run up to you and shake your hand everywhere you go. People that despise you, and people that are falling at your feet. And…you have a _family, _Ron. Something I've never had in my life."

Ron stared at Harry for a brief moment and then exhaled silently. Then, in a spur of the moment action, he hugged him. Harry stood still for a moment, unsure of the contact but then returned the hug.

"Harry, it meant the world to me that you said that. I've always wanted to be you, and today, I almost was. And then when you said that you were jealous of me and that you wanted to be me, that made me feel all the better. You…the Boy-Who-Lived wanted to be me…just plain old Ron Weasley. Its so strange." He let out a soft laugh and then looked around the room.

"We should go and see how Hermione is." Harry said.

"Yeah, lets get Draco first though, he needs to see her more than we do." They began to walk out of the house and back toward Hogwarts to get their friend.

They entered Draco's room with a knock and startled him out of his sleep. He had just dozed off, but welcomed their arrival. Shooing them out of the room hurriedly so as not to wake Haley, he begged with his eyes for good news about his wife.

"He's dead Draco." Ron said quietly.

"Voldemort? He's…dead?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry nodded, a slight smile passing over his tired face. He was defeated, gone, the world could sleep soundly again.

"And…Hermione?" Draco asked, his face falling. His world lay in the hands of the two men in front of him, they could either say she was fine, or dead. It was that easy to make his life tumble down around him like 1000 bricks.

"She's not so good. They took her to St. Mungo's, we came to get you to go see her." Ron said, his eyes were sympathetic toward Draco.

"Lets go, Fiona will watch Haley, I need to see Hermione." Draco said, standing up and walking toward the door. The other men followed him.

They arrived at the doors of St. Mungo's and walked down the corridors in search of Hermione, when they found a nurse she led them to her. Draco thanked the kind woman and looked at his two companions.

"I'd like to see her alone if you don't mind, at first." Draco asked, Harry and Ron gladly obliged, leaving Draco with only himself and wandering down the hallway.

Cautiously he entered her room, gasping at the state of her. She was pale, deathly skinny, and her eyes were sunken deep into her face. That wasn't Hermione…it couldn't be.

He walked over to her, sitting on the chair next to her bed. "Hermione, don't worry, everything is alright, I'm here." He squeezed her hand, hoping for a reaction, he didn't get one. "Haley is alright, everyone is alright, Voldemort is gone. Oh…please….wake up." He lay his head on her chest, noting that her breathing was so shallow he could barely feel it, her heartbeat was weak as well.

"Mister Malfoy?" A nurse with a clipboard entered the room.

"Yes?"

"We need to give her medication, if you don't mind." She said kindly, Draco took the hint and stepped away from his wife.

The nurse took out a bottle of liquid, it was blood red, she drew some into a needle and injected it into Hermione's arm. "There, there." She said, stroking the brunette's forehead. "She should wake up soon. We didn't want to give her the medication until we were sure she'd wake up to you. Comfort her when she wakes up, she won't remember anything. A memory charm was used on her, we aren't sure how extensive the damage is."

Draco nodded, not removing his eyes from his wife, he watched as her breathing rate rose, her lungs being filled more and more with air. Breathing a sigh of relief, he walked over and took his position at her bedside again, holding onto her hand and not letting his eyes stray from her face.

He squeezed her hand again, and he felt a slight twinge in return. She was waking up, but slowly. He sat there, just watching her breathe for half an hour. By that time, Ron and Harry had rejoined him in the room, they quietly leaned against the wall, watching her as well.

"Hermione?" Draco whispered, almost sure that she could hear him. "I love you." He kissed her cheek, tears rolling down his own. That did it, Hermione's eyes opened slightly, then shut again, he got closer to her face and waited for any sign of her waking up.

Her eyes opened again, this time not closing as fast, she looked around the room for a moment before shutting them again. Then, on her third try, she was able to keep them open and look at the men standing around her.

"Draco?" She said, ever so softly.

"Shhh, its okay love, I'm here, everything is alright."

"Where am I?" She asked, looking around the room once again.

"St. Mungos, but that's of no importance, just rest now dearest. I'm here, Harry is here, Ron is here, we're all alright."

"But…" He put a finger to her lips, shushing her before she could say any more. She closed her eyes again and fell into a deep sleep. Draco stood up and looked at Ron and Harry.

"She's alright…" He sighed, walking over to where they stood. "Thank you both." He said, holding his hand out to Harry, the man looked at Draco's hand and stepped toward him, embracing him.

"You're welcome, mate." Ron said, hugging Draco as well.

"We have to get back to the school Draco, you stay here with Hermione. We'll check on Haley and Fiona." Harry said.

"Yes, alright." He agreed, walking back over to where Hermione lay, they gave him one last look and walked out the door.

For the rest of the night, Draco sat next to her bed, just watching her. He dozed a few times during the night but woke up shortly after. By morning, he was a mess, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his hair was mussed beyond recognition.

Harry showed up by himself the next day to give Draco a break, with some pleading on Harry's part, Draco left the room and went to go get something to eat. The food in the cafeteria was awful, so he decided to walk around the hospital for a little bit.

He went down to see a distant relative that was in intensive care from a freak broom accident, and then he went up to the maternity ward. Smiling he looked in the window of the nursery, the babies, still purple from birth, were screaming their little lungs out. He thought of Haley, and the first time he had held her, how tiny she had been in his arms. How he choked up when he realized that he helped to make that beautiful human..

A nurse brought in another baby, her eyes were unopened and she was tinier than any other baby in there. She was sleeping, her eyes closed and her chest rising slightly with her breath. He watched her for a moment as the nurse tended to another baby, watching her breaths.

Then, for a moment, her chest stopped rising, she didn't move at all, panicking he looked at her face, she was turning blue. He didn't know what to do besides pound on the window with all of his strength the nurse looked up, her face fierce. He pointed hurriedly to the baby and the nurse looked over, her face was now deathly white and her lips purple. The nurse rushed over her, taking out her wand and pointing it to her chest, whispering a charm that would get her to start breathing again.

Draco exhaled as the baby did the opposite, she was alright and breathing again. That had been close. The nurse mouthed a thank you to Draco and he smiled in return.

All in a days work I suppose, he thought. He stood there watching the baby, she seemed alright now, but her eyes were wide open, yet she wasn't crying. He was about to walk down the hall when a door behind him opened, the nurse stepped out.

"Thank you again, I just don't know what to say. She would have died if I weren't for you." The kind woman's face showed a small smile.

"I just saw her stop breathing, I had to do something."

"Well thank you Mister…"

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

The nurse stared at him, running her eyes over his face, "Oh my." She whispered.

Intrigued, Draco looked at her questioningly, hoping for an explanation of why she was looking at him so strangely.

"I…I know you probably don't remember me Draco, but I was your nanny when you were a small boy."

"A nanny? No, my mother raised me." He said, confused.

She laughed, her bright white teeth gleaming, "Yes, I'm afraid so, just when you were a baby though. Your mother was nothing for child care, I taught her all she knew."

Draco thought back as far as he could but didn't remember a nanny at all. "What is your name?"

"Mrs. Malloy, I knew you wouldn't remember me, but oh how you've grown into such a hansom man!"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

The nurse shrugged, her smile still the same though, "No matter, what are you doing here?"

"My wife…she isn't well."

"I'm sorry, I'm sure she'll be fine soon, this place works miracles."

"I hope so, I'd better get going though. I should get back to her."

"Yes, well, it was nice seeing you again. Please, come back and see me once your wife gets better, I'd love to meet her."

"Yes, yes I will." He smiled at her and turned and walked down the hall.

That was too bloody strange. He laughed, making a mental note to tell his mother once they returned home.

When he went into Hermione's room, he was amazed to see her sitting up and eating. She smiled as he walked in the door. "Hermione!" He exclaimed, running over to her and hugging her.

"Draco…"Harry began, but it was too late.

"Who is he?" She asked, confused and staring at Draco.

"What?" His heart sank, "But you knew who I was when you woke up the first time…it…it can't be."

"Her memory isn't permanently gone, it should be back in a few days." Harry said from the bedside seat. "Hermione, this is your husband, Draco."

"I have a husband?" She asked incredulously.

"And a daughter, Haley." Draco whispered, heartbroken she didn't remember him.

"A daughter too? Oh, that must be nice to have a baby to hold. Where is she?"

"She's back at Hogwarts with Fiona. Oh please Hermione, remember something!" Draco said, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Hogwarts? What is that? Do we live on a farm? That's a funny name for a farm." She giggled, it was almost as if she were 5 years old again.

"Hogwarts is where we live, it's the school you work at Hermione." Harry explained.

"I work there? What do I do?"

"You're the Assistant Headmistress. Draco is the Assistant Potions Master." He said, looking at Draco with apology in his eyes.

"Potions Master?" She giggled again, "What are you, a witch?"

"Oh Merlin," Draco sighed, "She has no clue about anything does she?" He whispered to Harry, he shook his head.

"She has no idea about magic, none at all, its all gone."

"How long will it be until she's back to normal?" He pleaded.

"No one knows, it could be days, weeks, months, even a year. The doctor said just to hope for the best, we need to get her back into her original surroundings as soon as possible, try and spark her memory. He said that she may only remember parts of her life, or up into a certain time. Draco, when she remembers, she might only remember when you were enemies. You'd have to start over again, are you ready for that?"

"Harry, I'd do anything for her, even if it meant doing it all over again to gain her love."

"Alright mate, we're all here for you." He said, patting him on the shoulder, Draco nodded and went back over to her bedside to sit and talk to her.

……………

A few weeks later, they brought Hermione back to Hogwarts, she still hadn't remembered anything about her life and Draco was used to caring for her now. The one thing he missed most was kissing her, since all she knew was that he was her husband, and she had the mental capacity at the time of at 10 year old, she wouldn't kiss him. She wouldn't even let him hug her. This was taking its toll on Draco.

When they came up the driveway to the castle, it was snowing out, so she allowed him to sit next to her and wrap a blanket around themselves. As soon as they wheeled her into the front doors of the castle, everyone, students, teachers, even the house elves applauded. Some cheering "Welcome Home Hermione!"

She looked around in wonder then pulled Draco down next to her, "Are they all here for me?"

He smiled, "Yes Hermione, you're a very loved person around here, they all missed you very much."

"Oh my, well what should I do?"

"Just sit here and smile, thank people if they come up to you and say something nice." He directed.

"Alright."

After they made it through the crowd and up to their rooms with about 20 bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolate and sweets that could put Zonko's out of business, they helped her to the master bedroom.

"Everything in order Draco?" Ron asked, Draco said yes and thanked him for all he had done. "Ah, no big deal, anything for two of my closest friends." He smiled and went over to Hermione, hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'd better be going, but I'll be back soon, they need me back at work." He smiled.

"Bye Ronny!" Hermione called, she had taken to calling him that and, surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind it.

"I'm going to go find Ginny, see how she is." Harry said, hugging Hermione and Draco both then leaving the room.

Draco sighed and sat down on the bed next to Hermione, exhausted from everything that had happened that day.

"Draco?" Hermione said softly, he looked over at her. "I'm sorry I've caused you all this trouble, I just wish I understood why. I wish I remembered." She sighed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Draco frowned at her, "No, no love. You aren't causing trouble, and you will remember someday, I promise." He hugged her, and surprisingly she hugged him back, clutching onto him as if he were her only link to the real world.

"Tell me." She whispered.

"Tell you what, love?"

"Everything…anything you can, make me remember Draco."

He nodded, helping her up and walking over to the couch with her, sitting her in front of the fire and wrapping her up in a blanket. "Where to start." He said, wondering aloud.

"The beginning would be nice." She laughed, and Draco swore he saw that old spark in her eye.

"Alright, well, you came to Hogwarts 8 years ago, with me, Harry, and Ron. But I wasn't very nice to the three of you. You were one of the smartest witches in the school, I despised you. Ron and Harry were your best friends and you defeated Voldemort every year for 7 years, keeping our school safe. You were heroes."

"Who is Voldemort?" She asked softly. Draco stared into her honey brown eyes.

"He was a horrible wizard, he is the one that kidnapped you and made you forget everything. He was trying to kill Harry and I. But Ron and Harry saved you. They killed him to save you, they put their lives on the line to save you." He said, she looked at him with wonder.

"Anyway," He tried to change the subject quickly. "You became Head Girl in our last year at Hogwarts, and I was Head Boy. We loathed each other still, but you decided to make a truce between us. I agreed, and we were at least civil for the time. Then, I began to realize something about you Hermione."

"What did you realize?"

"I was in love with you. I couldn't get you out of my mind. The beautiful, snarky, intelligent witch who I had hated all of my life, was the woman I loved."

She looked at him, sparkles in her eyes, watching every expression on his face.

"The first day of school, you were horribly upset because Ron was being a git and wasn't taking the news well of us being Head Boy and Girl together. You came back to our common room and you were in a horrible state, I hated to see you like that. I came over and sat down on the corner of your chair and you were raving on about Ron. So I did the only thing I could."

"What was that?"

"I kissed you." He smiled, remembering that feeling. "You ran off, and I just sat there, wondering what in the bloody hell I had just done. Then, at the ball, we had first dance and after that we decided to go for a walk to get out of there so I took you to…"

"Your secret garden." She whispered.

"Yes." He grinned, his throat clenching.

"And you kissed me there too. And then we went back to the ball, and Ron asked me to dance, and he kissed me then, and you got jealous and came out onto the floor, grabbed me, and kissed me again." She said, staring into the fire, trying to remember that night.

"Yes…yes, Hermione, you're remembering!"

"And…we made love later, and I got pregnant, and we got married here. Dumbledore did it, and Harry's best man speech, and…Lucius. Lucius took me too! I almost died….and…oh Merlin." He grabbed onto Draco and began to sob as memories flooded back into her mind, both good and bad. "I remember…" She whispered.

"Shhh, its alright." He said softly, stroking her hair.

"I love you Draco…" She said, wrapping her arms around his neck, tears running down her cheeks.

"I love you too Hermione." He said, kissing her soundly on the lips, savoring it as if it were his first kiss.

"I want to see Haley." She said, Draco nodded, getting up and walking out of the room to go get their daughter, dizzy with the fact that Hermione, _his_ Hermione, was back again.

……………….

a/n…7 pages!!!! Hope you all liked it, now if my computer isn't a jerk…I will do some thank you's!

Chapters 9-12 Thank You's!

Angel-now you know what's going on! Thanks for reading! I'd hate to be stuck in winter right now, but I'd love to live in Australia!

Shaun-White- yes, I know I'm a sick person for making Peter check out Hermione, lol…but I'm just a sick person in general, so yeah. Heh

Lover del Dragon- Thanks! And yes, I agree that he is so stupid, but he's dead now, so its all good! lol

Angel ) - I'm not sure if this is the same person as before, so I'll just say thanks again,…and no, he didn't want Draco to join him

Snufflesluver- I love POTC too! Hehe, Orlando Bloom is so hott!

Shadow-Demon14- I hate cliffies too…but I have to include them to keep people reading!

Iween-Felton- I'm glad that you're glad that I'm glad, heh, and I made my chapters longer for you! Thanks for the advice, hope you like it!

PinkTribeChick- yeah, Voldemort kidnapped her, and I didn't really even show Draco getting upset that Voldemort looked like him, I guess I could have though

Dark Queen Of Roses- yeah, you're right, just when you think you've figured out the mystery, you find out you're totally wrong, lol

Natalie- I love that line too! I'm proud of it!

Chibi!!! lol- the point is to keep you on the edge of your seat isn't it? Lol

Iluvronweasley- I described it well, but it probably wasn't what you were expecting…

Kat Davi- yeah, it was "moldy voldy" lol, and I don't know if speechless is such a good thing or not, lol, and is suspensy a word? heh

Naz1- no, Haley almost got taken, but she didn't, she's still at Hogwarts w/ Fiona, and they found her and no one died except Voldemort! Yay! People have told me I use ands and commas too much…maybe I do, oh well, lol and happy very late 18th birthday! And yeah, I was a bit rushed in writing that chapter, but I guess I'm happy with it, I still might rewrite it though.

Loopyloopylupinluver- yeah, I mentioned in my a/n that it was a POTC cross over, I love that movie, lol

RupertGrintfan564- Yeah, I tried to make it seem real, they need to seem like real people. And I didn't really like the whole POV changes, they were annoying to me, lol thanks though! And yeah, Draco is really sweet, at least in this story, lol

Blazingfire79564- I'm glad you saw this story again! Keep reading!

Karla-There will be a happy ending, I promise, things are already starting to turn up!

Fan-of-HP- glad you like it! Thanks!

SainNikki- don't worry, there will be a happy ending, I don't think I could put myself through writing the expression on her face as he dies, so I won't! J

Ilovedrummersinband- thanks, sorry to make you cry!

Blackdragonofdeath13- thanks!

Erin- thanks!

Ali1059- yeah, sorry about the wait

a/n…ok, well this authors note is the only thing on the 9th page, I hope that it is long enough for you and that you're all happy with it! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Until next time friends…please review!

Love and Fluff,

Natalie


	14. Red Eyes

a/n…I really don't like a few things in life…1. My computer. It sucks…first I had to get it fixed after all this ad-ware stuff, and then my monitor died so we had to get a new one of those…and then 2. Summer reading…5 books, 7 assignments…enough said. Now that I've done my complaining, onto the story! I still haven't revealed the red eyes yet…maybe I'll do that this chapter…grin

Disclaimer…puts head in hands and sighs

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It had been two weeks since the night Hermione remembered, but not an easy two weeks by far. She would wake up during the night with horrible nightmares, screaming loud enough to wake the baby. Draco would just hold her, stroking her hair while she shook and cried violently. She wasn't well, at all. She was pale, and sickly thin, always sick.

"Hermione, take your medicine, please." Draco pleaded as if he were asking a five year old child to take cough syrup.

"I don't need it Draco, I'm fine." She said stubbornly, she refused to admit that she was sick and kept working in that stale little office of hers.

"Hermione, your body is under too much stress, this isn't good for you. Stop being so stubborn and just take the ruddy medicine!" He sighed, exasperated.

"Fine," She rolled her eyes, giving in to appease him, she took the little cup from his hand and drank the thick liquid from it, making a horrible face as she did so. "That stuff tastes like bloody tar-water."

"Thank you." He said, forcing a small smile and kissing her on the forehead. She gave the same back to him.

"I keep telling you, I'm fine, just a little cold."

"We don't want to take any chances, love, I don't want to lose you again." He brushed a strand of curls back from her face.

She smiled again, "I guess I should be grateful you care so much."

"Yes, you should." He laughed and went back to his reading while Hermione went over to the kitchenette and rinsed out the medicine cup.

"…Draco….Draco!" Hermione's call shattered the temporary silence in the room.

The blonde jumped out of his chair and ran over to his wife, who stood pale and stiff in the kitchen. "What? What is it Hermione?"

Without saying a word, Hermione lifted her arm and pointed toward the small window, it was only after a few moments of pointing that she spoke. "Eyes."

"What?" Draco peered out the window into the darkness of the night, there was nothing out there.

"There were these horrible red eyes, they were staring at me and watching everything I did." She shuddered, grasping onto her husband.

"Shhhh, its alright darling." He automatically held her and stroked her hair, just as he always did when she had her nightmares. "It was only your imagination."

"No, no Draco, those eyes were as real as you and me. There's something out there."

"What in the world would still be following you Hermione, he's dead." Draco reasoned.

"One of his followers, Peter, whoever it was that took me." She relaxed into him as he lead her over to one of the couches and sat down with her. "Draco, why can't things just be normal again."

"They will be, sooner or later they will be Hermione." He placed another kiss on her forehead and then one on her nose, leading to a chaste one on her lips.

They both sat there for the longest time, Draco holding her and listening to her breathe, feeling her erratic heartbeat from beneath his arms. Eventually she fell asleep, and since Draco found no reason to disturb her, he repositioned himself from under her, lay back and fell asleep as well.

During the middle of the night there was a soft bump that came from the kitchen. Draco, being the lightest of sleepers, heard it and woke up. He made a move to get up until he realized his present position underneath his wife's sleeping form. Ears alert, he strained his neck to look over the back of the couch.

There they were, those red eyes. Hermione hadn't been imagining things. He only saw them for a moment, attached to a black body form, and then before he could even make a move to get up, the figure had gone out the window and was gone.

"Unbelievable." He whispered, suddenly aware that there were still followers of Voldemort out there, waiting to avenge his death. "I really hope Harry and Ron are alright."

The next morning Draco found no reason to tell Hermione about what he had seen. She seemed so much calmer now than she did the night before, he didn't want to upset her again. Although, he did manage to set up some extra wards in their room while Hermione was in the shower.

For a few weeks the red eyes didn't appear again, but Hermione slowly kept getting sicker and sicker, now she finally admitted there was something wrong and went to Madame Pomfrey.

"Well dear, if you had been in a war, I would have called this post traumatic stress syndrome, but I'm not sure what else to call it. All this stress has taken a toll on your body, you just need a few good days rest and lots of TLC." The kind nurse smiled at her. "I'm going to give you these sleeping pills, take two half an hour before bed, and don't go to bed after 11, you need plenty of rest. And no work until you're better. Get that husband of yours to give you plenty of fruits and vegetables and such."

Hermione accepted the pills and promised that she would do everything as directed. After all, she still was Hermione Granger, and since when had she stopped following the directions of her elders?

"Now, go get some sleep, let Fiona take care of Haley."

Hermione thanked her for everything and began to walk back to her rooms, clutching her wand in her hand. Ever since she had seen those eyes, she was always on alert for anything. She made it to the rooms, thankfully, and went in.

She had been almost asleep when she heard a noise, assuming that it was Draco coming in to check on her, she ignored it, but it wasn't. Above her bed stood a short figure draped in a black robe, everything on it was black except those red eyes. She screamed, not knowing what else to do, and reached for her wand before the figure could reach for its.

"Stupefy!" Hermione heard a male voice scream. She shut her eyes, figuring that it had been the figure and she would soon be killed.

After a few moments, Hermione opened her eyes, realizing that she wasn't the one laying on the floor unconscious. The figure was, and over it stood Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" She cried, getting up and hugging her friend. He had his wand trained on the figure still but he hugged her with his left arm.

"You alright Hermione?" He asked, looking at her to make sure there was nothing wrong.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little upset." She said, still clutching onto him and looking at the figure laying down on the floor.

"We should take it to Dumbledore." Ron said, Hermione nodded in agreement. "_Mobilicorpus." _ He muttered as the figure was stood up as if by invisible puppet strings and floated along behind him. Thankfully the hallways were empty because it was during classes and they made it safely to the Headmaster's office.

"Cotton candy." Hermione said, watching as the stone Gargoyle began to move. She, Ron, and the still masked figure made their way up the steps.

A knock from Hermione received a simple "Enter," from Dumbledore.

"Hello Hermione, Ron, and…Oh my." Albus stood up, walking over to the hooded figure, "Would someone care to explain?"

"This…thing, whatever you'd prefer it called, has been stalking Draco and I, Albus. It tried to attack me in my room several times. This time it would have succeeded if Ron hadn't heard me scream and come to help me." She thought for a minute. "Wait, Ron, why were you in my rooms to begin with?"

"Draco asked me to set more wards in the rooms, I was in the bathroom when I heard you scream and I came running." He said.

"Well, I suppose we should see who the perpetrator is, shouldn't we?" Dumbledore said, reaching for the hood and pulling it back from the figure's head."

Hermione gasped, "No, it couldn't be."

"Bloody hell, who would have thought?" Ron said, running a hand over his red hair.

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Draco sat in Snape's classroom, grading papers for the Potions Master. He grumbled as he took another 2 points off the student for careless errors.

"I never realized how annoying it is to grade all these papers until every single student spells the exact same word wrong." He sighed.

Snape did something uncharacteristically strange coming from him, he laughed. "You'll learn to love it Draco, considering you are coming back next year?"

Draco thought for a moment, "Well, now that Voldemort is gone, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't come back. Hermione and I both love our jobs, and Fiona is great with Haley." He shrugged.

"I do hope you come back next year, my life has been a lot easier since you came." Snape said, laughing again.

"I'm sure." Draco smiled, setting down his grading quill and leaning back in his seat. "So why didn't you ever get married and live happily ever after Severus?" Draco grinned, he had always wondered, and with Snape laughing so much, he thought maybe he was in a good enough mood to tell him.

Snape did the same, reclining in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. "Well, there was one girl. I did love her, but she went off and got married to someone who 'was much more like her.' She was a Ravenclaw."

Interested, Draco waited for him to go on.

"She and I were together for about two years, our fifth and sixth, she broke it off to tell me she was cheating on me with another Slytherin. I was of course heartbroken, but I would never cry. James and his cronies would have gotten too much satisfaction in seeing me cry. No, I dealt with it the best way I knew how. I went and attempted to beat the bloody pulp out of the man who had stolen her." He stopped with a bitter smile, obviously remembering that day. "Of course, he was much stronger than me and I was left in the hospital wing for the night, but I still remember her face as she watched me fall. I knew she still loved me."

Draco sat in wonder, "Who was it?"

Snape laughed softly, "You see, Draco, that is the bitter irony of it. It was your mother. You don't think I treated you well all those years just because I liked your father did you? No. I hated that man, I never would have said it until after he died, but I hated him. He stole your mother from me. The only reason I ever treated you so specially is because you reminded me so much of Narcissa, you still do."

"Bloody hell." Draco muttered, his jaw hanging open. Snape laughed again.

"So now you know, my secret is out."

Draco began to say something, but Ron burst in the door of the classroom. "Draco! You'd better come, they've found the person whose been stalking you."

Draco jumped from his seat, followed by Snape, and the three men ran to Dumbledore's office. Hermione was sitting on the desk, her eyes still looking amazed, and a little girl sat in the corner chair, her arms and legs bound by invisible ropes, but her eyes were still the same. Blood red.

"The officials should be here any moment Draco, they're on their way." Dumbledore said.

"Who is she?" He asked Hermione as he looked at the little girl who was struggling against her bindings.

"Destiny Harriman." Hermione said, "She came to me sometimes during the weeks because she was so terrified of Snape, I still can't believe a little girl so sweet could do something like this."

"Her father and mother are death eaters, or at least they were," Draco said simply, his mind running over the list of last names he had in a rolodex in his mind.

"That would explain it." Ron said, watching as a few ministry officials came into the office. He walked over and began talking to them quietly about the situation.

"Now our terrors are over, Hermione." Draco said comfortingly, wrapping his arm around her waist and placing a kiss in her hair.

"I really do hope so, Draco. But they're still out there."

"No, no one is ever going to hurt you again. I won't let it." He whispered, pulling her in closer.

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a/n…so sorry, short chapter, but! I have a new story coming out, it is going to be a Draco/Hermione story again, but with a lot more fluff and humor, none of this depressing stuff! It takes place on summer vacation…and…well, just read it to find out. Its title is going to be "Teaching Dragons to Swim" I already have the first chapter uploaded, and once I post this, I'll post that. I hope you like it! It doesn't seem like a Hermione/Draco story to begin with, but it will be, I promise! Oh yeah, and I have even more news, I've decided that I want to do my part to help the world of fan fiction to get even better. I'm going to be a beta! Draco/Hermione stories only, but e-mail or IM me if you'd like me to be your beta! or just ptownqt076 on AIM. Thanks! Now…please review!!

Love and Fluff,

Natalie


	15. Narcissa Returns

a/n...oh goodness, I know you all hate excuses, but I have good ones this time! I procrastinated way too much on my homework and ended up having to read a 600 page book in 2 days (booknotes...they are my friend) then, on top of that I had soccer 2-a-days, which are possibly the worst thing known to man...and if you play soccer or any other sports that have 2-a-days, you know what I'm talking about. Anyways...I know it took forever and I'm sorry...but here it is!

Disclaimer...everything you don't recognize belongs to me, the rest belongs to JK Rowling!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

_Dear Mother, _

_I know that you've probably heard all that's been going on here in the papers, but I'd like a chance for you to hear everything straight from me. Albus has invited you to come down for the Halloween Ball to help chaperone if you'd so like. Hermione and I would like to tell you the story of what has happened, and of course let you see Haley. Send me your reply back soon._

_Love Forever,  
Draco_

Draco sealed the envelope and tied it to the leg of his Eagle Owl and sent her flying out the window toward his mother. He smiled as he watched the bird fade and then walked back over to where Hermione was sitting on the couch.

"Draco, do you want to do this again next year? Come back and teach?" She lay up against him and put her hand on his knee.

"Only if you do honey, I love it here, and I know you do too."

"Mmm, okay." She sighed in contentment and shut her eyes against his chest, taking in the scent of his cologne.

They sat there for the longest while, and Draco was sure that Hermione had to be asleep, so he kissed the crown of her head and threw a blanket over the two of them. Then, there was a knock at the door. He said the password out loud and the portrait opened and there stood his mother.

"Mother? How in the world did you get here?"

"I got your letter, apparated into Hogsmeade, and then came up to the castle." She said as if she had been going out to the corner store to buy some tea. She set her bags inside the room and smiled at the no longer sleeping Hermione. "Hello dear, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you." She yawned and stretched herself out like a cat that had just been awoken by a little toddler.

Draco got up to hug his mother and take her bags into the guest room, she sat down next to Hermione who looked a little more awake now then she had before. "So what brings you here Narcissa?" She asked.

"Please dear, call me mum, and Dumbledore invited me to come for the Halloween Ball, and Draco wanted to tell me the first hand account of what all has happened over here as well."

"Well, we're glad to have you with us, mum." She smiled as Draco came back into the room.

"Yes, of course, how are things back home?" Draco asked, sitting back down next to his wife.

"Oh just wonderful, I've been having so much fun in my class, it's a muggle one I started taking." She smiled brightly.

"What is the class mother?" Draco asked, intrigued that his mother would ever take a muggle class.

"Yoga." She laughed, and Hermione did too from surprise that Narcissa would dress up in a lycra body suit and go into public. Draco on the other hand had no idea what yoga was until Hermione and his mother tried to explain it to him.

"Well, yes anyway mother, I need to go talk to someone for a minute, Hermione would you stay here and keep my mother company for a few minutes?" Draco said with a small smirk, Hermione looked at him questioningly but he paid no attention and turned away to walk to the door. "I'll be back." With that he left and Hermione looked at her mother-in-law.

"I wonder what that was about?" Narcissa said quietly, she shrugged and looked toward Hermione, "So, where's my granddaughter?"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Draco walked down the halls swiftly, heading toward the dungeons and the potions classroom, a slight smile on his lips. This was going to be perfect.

He knocked on the door to Snape's office and entered when he called him in. "Severus, I have a small surprise for you."

The man looked at his colleague uneasily, "And what would that surprise be, Draco?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." He said, waiting for the potions master to stand from his desk and follow him. Draco led him back to his rooms and said, "Now, wait here for just a moment please."

"Alright?" He looked at him questioningly as Draco went into his room and found his mother and Hermione in Haley's room playing with the baby.

"Mother, I have a little surprise for you, if you'd follow me." He said, a hint of mischief in his eyes. Narcissa and Hermione both looked at each other and put Haley in her crib, then followed Draco out into the common room. Draco asked his mother to sit on the couch facing away from the door and not to turn around until he said to. Narcissa agreed and Draco went back out into the hallway.

"Ready?" He asked Severus, who was standing at the door still, looking very confused.

"I suppose."

"Don't say a word, at least not until I tell you to." Snape nodded in agreement and followed Draco into the common room. He knew who it was sitting on the couch before she even turned around and it took all he had not to turn and run out the door or to hit Draco with a particularly nasty hex at the moment.

"Mother, Severus, I believe you know each other?" He said, smirking. Hermione sat in one of the chairs grinning with the same look of mischief in her eyes as her husband's.

Narcissa turned around and gasped, "Severus?" She said softly.

"Narcissa." He whispered, looking at her.

"Its been so long." She stood up and turned around to better face him.

"Too long." He said, almost speechless.

"Oh Severus," She said after a moment of silence, running over to hug him. He stood stunned for a moment but then hugged her back. "I'm so sorry."

"Narcissa, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I should have listened to you, Lucius was no good, he was a horrible person."

"Maybe we should go," Draco whispered to Hermione softly, she smiled up at him and they both moved to exit the room to leave the two in peace. Once they were outside in the hallway Hermione hugged her husband.

"That was such a sneaky thing you did Draco!" She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist.

"Guile is my middle name." He smirked, kissing her softly on the lips.

"I've come to know that." She laughed again, nuzzling against him. He held her for a moment, just the two of them out in the hallway, almost like they were students again, stopping at any chance to be together in the halls.

"Draco, I love you." She whispered into his chest.

"I'll love you forever, Hermione." He replied, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her shampoo.

"Lets go to the garden." She said, pulling away and grabbing his hand to lead him to the picture of the little boy and girl on a swing, It was their secret garden.

"Burnett," She said smoothly, Draco followed her into the botanical garden and she inhaled deeply the scent of all the flowers. This was one of her favorite places in the entire castle.

"Shall we?" He offered her his arm and they strolled down the paths littered with petals and leaves, trees and flowers on all sides as far as the eye could see. It was undoubtedly one of the best botanical gardens in the world, but only with a little bit of magic here and there.

They came upon the waterfall, a place of so many memories to them, Hermione sat down at the bench and Draco took the seat beside her, snaking his arm around her. She lay her head on his shoulder and snuggled next to him, watching the rainbows form at the bottom of the waterfall.

"How do you think your mother and Snape are doing?" Hermione said after a few moments, Draco thought for a moment then laughed.

"Probably catching up on old times over a cup of tea." He said simply, as if old lovers got together every day.

"Why did you get your mother and Snape to meet up with each other again? You couldn't possibly be trying to play matchmaker, could you my dear?" She smirked.

"Of course not, who would do such a thing?" He smiled deviously.

"Don't come complaining to me though when you find them snogging in some dark corner in the halls like we used to, Draco!"

"Bloody...that's disgusting Hermione!" He smiled at his wife before he began to tickle her sides. She screamed and jumped up as he fought her to the ground in an all out tickle-war. Unfortunately for Draco, she knew his ticklish spots too, and she won the battle. They lay next to each other on the shore of the little lake giggling and enjoying each other's presence. Hermione sighed in contentment as Draco placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

"I'm glad its all over now, Draco." She mused softly, he nodded.

"Nothing is ever going to hurt you again, I promise you."

Hermione didn't reply but the two lay there still in silence for a few moments when Hermione sat up and looked down at Draco.

"Draco, we should probably be getting back, its almost dinner time."

"Mmhmm," He mumbled, his eyes closed and a half-smile on his lips.

"Come on sleepyhead," She stood up, grabbed his hands, and pulled him up off the ground until he was standing again. "There."

The duo walked out of the garden into still empty hallways back to their rooms. Narcissa and Severus were gone when they got back, but they figured they must have gone down for dinner.

"I'm starving," Hermione moaned, rubbing her stomach and waiting on Draco so they could go down to dinner. "Lets go," She said once he came back into the common room with a tie on.

"A little anxious tonight are we?" He joked, taking her hand as they walked down to the great hall just in time for dinner to begin.

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a/n....really short chapter, the next one is gonna be the Halloween ball, and then after that, probably only a chapter or two left in this story....how sad. Anyway, please review! I'm missing all your reviews because no one is sending me any, I'm beginning to feel unloved! So please review, even if you don't like this chapter because its so short, I'm sure you'd rather have a short chapter sooner than a long chapter later...so here it is!

Love and fluff,

Natalie


	16. Always and Forever

A/N…well, in anticipation waiting for Friday to come (I've got the book on reserve at Borders for midnight!) I thought I'd give you guys an update. I'm really sorry for making you wait, but I've already felt what that does to a writer, I haven't had a review in months, and its my own fault. So enjoy this chapter! (I'd suggest maybe reading the last two chapters if you're a bit lost, they might clear things up)

Disclaimer…if you haven't figured it out yet…I give up.

Hermione smiled into the mirror over the sink in their bathroom as she put on the finishing touches of her make up. Draco had locked himself in their bedroom to put on his costume, which he hadn't let Hermione see yet, so the brunette took to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Her long dress fell to the floor covered in crushed red velvet, a train following her everywhere she went. The neck was in a halter top and the decorations were very simple, gold flowers that wound their way around her body, they glittered every time she moved into a different light. It wasn't much of a costume, she knew, but with a mask that matched the color of the dress, with a golden outline, it seemed a little better. The truth was that she couldn't resist buying the dress, it fit her amazingly, bringing out every curve of her body beautifully.

She finished putting the crimson eye shadow on and stepped back to admire the work she had done on herself. Behind her, she heard the door to their bedroom open and couldn't resist going out to look at her husband. But it was too late, the door to the hall had closed before she could see him. On it was a note for her to meet him in the Great Hall. She laughed as she grabbed her mask and walked to the nursery.

"Haley, mommy loves you." She smiled toward her baby who was taking her bottle from Fiona in the rocking chair. She leaned down to kiss her daughter on the forehead before leaving to go down to the Great Hall.

Hermione was surprised when she got down there because there were already many students sitting at the tables. She smiled as she took her place at the head table, next to an empty seat where her husband should be sitting.

"I wonder what he has up his sleeve." She mused aloud.

"Pardon?" Albus looked over at her.

"My husband," She laughed, "He told me he'd meet me down here."

"He'll be here, I'm sure." The old headmaster said with a glimmer in his eyes. Hermione got the feeling that he knew more than she did.

The ball began with dinner, and Hermione ate quietly, still wondering exactly where her husband was. Suddenly, the doors opened and something green flew in the door followed by a trail of golden glitter.

"What the?" She said, then once she got a better glimpse at the green intruder, she understood.

The entire student body watched as the blonde man soared effortlessly around the room, not aided by a broom. He landed in his seat next to Hermione as everyone applauded.

"Peter Pan?" She laughed as she surveyed the costume, "Spandex are not your thing, darling."

He was covered from head to toe in a green leotard and green tights, his blonde hair wasn't slicked back, but fell loosely to the sides, it made him look like a child again.

"How in the world did you manage to fly without a broom though?"

"With a little help from Albus and Severus."

Hermione looked over at the Headmaster who just smiled and winked at her, then she went back to her dinner.

Once dinner was over and the tables had been cleared from the room, the band set up on the platform where the Head Table once was. Hermione and Draco walked around together, watching the students in their groups, laughing about the past dances they had attended.

Narcissa and Severus came in together after dinner was over, they strolled toward their younger coworkers, hand in hand. Hermione smiled as they approached.

"We had a more, private, dinner." Severus explained at Draco's questioning glance. Hermione giggled and Narcissa's face lit up.

The two were dressed in matching costumes, Narcissa in a black and white accented ball gown, and Snape looking no less than the Phantom of the Opera, his face half masked. Hermione complimented their choice in costumes as Snape inspected Draco's.

"Peter Pan?" He laughed.

"Green is your color, Draco." His mother said, brushing a strand of hair away from Draco's face. Hermione couldn't help but stifle a laugh as Draco shot her a death glare that quickly faded into a smile.

The music began and the student couples began to move onto the dance floor, their bodies seeming one big, twitching mass of colors. Severus and Draco both escorted their partners out onto the dance floor as a slow waltz began.

Hermione rested her hand on Draco's shoulder and looked into his eyes, but it was easy to tell within the first few steps that Draco was never really a waltzer.

"May I?" Severus interrupted. "Draco, maybe your mother could teach you a thing or two." He laughed as he took Hermione's hand and swept her across the floor. Draco sighed and walked over to his mother.

"If there was one thing I always wanted to teach you, Draco, it was how to waltz." She smirked as she instructed him on the proper way. Draco couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as he watched his coworker waltzing with his wife across the floor, the laughter in Hermione's eyes shone brightly.

"Now come on, you know as well as I do that there's nothing to be jealous of there." His mother said, reading his thoughts as she took him and began to waltz.

To Draco's relief, the song didn't last much longer, and Hermione and Snape returned to their partners. Draco demonstrated his new found knowledge of waltzing to Hermione, and she winked toward his teacher.

"You've still got a thing or two to learn, Draco." Snape laughed as he took Narcissa's hand.

"Yes sir, I do. But, one thing I have learned from you is this." He muttered a charm and pointed his wand at both himself and his wife. The two shot up and began floating around the room together. Hermione screamed and grabbed onto her husband.

Severus smiled at Narcissa, "They're meant for each other, he looks at her like she's the only woman in this room."

The woman laughed, "I know, do you remember when we were like that? So in love." She gave a small sigh and the spark in her eyes glittered with remembrance.

"I've never gotten over that," Snape said, a touch of bitterness in his voice, "The night you…broke it off with me…" He stopped, and looked up at the head table where Dumbledore was sitting. "Hang on, stay right here."

Narcissa watched as he walked toward the head table and as her son and his wife came down right next to her.

"What is he doing?" Draco asked.

"I…I'm not sure." She grinned as Severus made it up to the table and grabbed a glass and a spoon and began tapping the two together to gain attention.

Everyone in the hall stopped, even the band stopped playing, and looked at Severus.

"Thank you," He began. "As I'm sure you're all well aware, I have a very special guest with me tonight, your classmate's mother, Narcissa Black." The student body all looked to where Narcissa was standing and Draco swore he could see a faint blush on his mother's cheeks. "Many years ago, Narcissa and I were in love, and she was stolen away from me by her late husband." He stopped and looked straight at her, "Narcissa, I never told you this, but that day I was going to ask you to marry me." Draco heard his mother's breath catch in her throat.

Snape walked down off of the platform and over to where she was standing, he got down on one knee before her, the students were still completely silent. Draco and Hermione stood holding each other and smiling next to the other couple.

"Narcissa, will you do me the honor of so many years ago, and be my wife?" He pulled out a ring, undoubtedly the one he had bought for her when they were still in school.

"Yes." She answered simply, tears brimming in her eyes.

One person began to clap, Harry up at the table, and then slowly the entire student body began to clap as the two hugged each other. Draco went over and hugged his mother as the tears ran down her face.

"I love you, mum." He whispered in her ear.

****

7 Months Later

"And do you, Severus, take this woman, to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until you are both separated by death?"

"I do."

Draco watched as Dumbledore handed the rings to his mother and Snape, blessing them and finishing up the ceremony. The two turned to face the hall.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape!" The student body roared in applause as the two walked down the aisle out of the great hall.

"Seems like just yesterday, doesn't it?" Hermione whispered to Draco.

Her husband looked at her and smiled, "Just yesterday." He picked her up and she put her arms around his neck and they walked down the aisle after the rest of the bridal party.

"Thank you, Draco, for everything." Severus said, shaking his hand once they had reached the reception out in the school gardens. "You've given me my life back, and I don't know how to repay you for it."

"There's no need to repay me, Severus, really, it just took a little bit of luck, and some magic." He winked as he went over to join his wife.

"Congratulations, mum." Hermione said to Narcissa, the woman smiled and gave her daughter-in-law a hug and kissed Haley on the forehead.

"She's getting so big now," She smiled. "To think, I'm a grandmother just getting married."

Hermione laughed, "And you don't look a day past 30."

"Don't patronize me, dear." She said threateningly, but cracking a smile in the end. The two women laughed together as their husbands approached.

"So what are you two planning on doing now, mum?" Draco asked his mother, taking the baby from Hermione.

"A muggle cruise in the Carribean. I hear its very nice down there, and it will be nice to get away from magic for a while." Narcissa smiled, leaning into her new husband as he put his arm around her waist.

"And then we'll be coming to live with you, of course!" Snape smiled at the look of shock on Draco's face.

Narcissa elbowed her husband lightly in the ribs and they both laughed. "No, don't worry dear, we'll be moving back into the house, the renovations are almost finished."

Draco and Hermione both breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, you're always welcome to come visit your granddaughter." Hermione replied.

"And our son and his beautiful wife." Snape said, putting extra emphasis on the fact that Draco was now his son.

Draco smiled at the couple as one of the teachers came up to talk to them, they excused themselves and turned their backs. Draco hugged his wife closer to him, "Finally, a father like I've always wanted."

She kissed him chastely, and they both looked down at the baby in Draco's arms as she fell asleep.

"I'd better take her up to the nursery," Hermione said, giving her husband another kiss as she left to take their daughter up to go to sleep.

"Hermione, wait." He said, she stopped and turned around to look at him. "I love you. Just thought I'd let you know." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Always and forever." She replied, "Always and forever."

****

Many years later…

A brunette sat in the living room of her home, she was about 20 years old, looking through an old photo album from her parent's wedding. The pictures smiled and waved up at her from the dragon-hide album, she giggled as she saw her mother at her age, they looked almost exactly alike.

She flipped through the newer pages, pictures of her grandparent's wedding follow her parents. After that she saw pictures of her Godfather's wedding to a beautiful redhead. The redhead's brother was married to her mother's cousin around the same time, and the book included those pictures as well.

"My family." She heard someone say from behind her. She turned around to see her mother standing in the doorway, looking down at the photo album.

"Mum, what are these extra pages for?" Her daughter asked.

"Well they're for your wedding pictures of course!" Hermione smiled, sitting down next to her daughter. "You'll get married someday, and I wanted to have somewhere to put those photos."

"Tell me the story again, mum, for old times sake." Her daughter said, leaning back against the sofa.

Hermione laughed, "Which one?"

"All of them, from the beginning, when you met dad."

"Haley, that could take all night."

"I know, but I love hearing those stories." She smiled as she closed the album and set it back up on the coffee table.

"Me too." The blonde man stood in the same doorway his wife had come through, he came and sat down next to his wife and daughter. "But before we start story time, I thought a couple of guests might come and help us retell the story to our children." He looked back over his shoulder as a line of people came parading into the room.

Hermione jumped up and hugged each and every one of them, she hadn't seen them in so long. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Erin, and her mother and father in law all came into their living room. They sat around the room, on the chairs and on the floor. Their children came too, they all loved hearing their parent's stories of the old days back at Hogwarts.

"So where do we start?" Harry asked, looking at Ron.

"The beginning perhaps, the day we first met?" The redhead replied, smiling at Hermione.

"Sounds good to me," Hermione smiled, as her husband put and arm around her.

Harry started, "Well, Ron and I met each other at the platform…"

Hermione tuned out for a moment, looking at all of the faces around her, those people really were her family, some literally, and some just by luck. She listened that night to the stories, of love and hatred, of spells and potions, deaths and births, but most of all, of friendship. That was all that ever mattered, these people were all that ever mattered to her, save a few others. She knew that right at that moment, her entire life sat in the same room.

"That was when I knew," Draco smiled, looking at his wife and bringing her back into reality.

"Knew what, dad?" Haley asked.

"That I would love your mother, always and forever."

A/N…yep…its over. Sadly. I hope you all have enjoyed it, and those of you who read it in the future, I hope you enjoy it as well.

So, one last time…

Love and Fluff,

Natalie.


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